Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt quietly walked off stage during the recent Black Sabbath tribute concert Back To The Beginning – Ozzy Osbourne’s star-studded farewell event – to give former Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee the solo spotlight he deserved on the classic track “Shot in the Dark.”
In a new interview with Guitar World, Bettencourt explained that the song was originally planned as a dual-guitar performance, but he made a spontaneous decision to leave the stage entirely. “I didn’t tell anybody I was doing it – I just walked off,” he said. “I wanted Jake to have his moment without another guitar player stealing his thunder. We all came from one-guitar bands. We didn’t want rhythm guitarists.”
The gesture was especially meaningful given Lee’s extraordinary journey back to the stage. Just over a year ago, in October 2024, the legendary guitarist was shot three times in Las Vegas while walking his dog and nearly lost his life. He has also been battling arthritis, forcing him to adapt his playing technique and rebuilding confidence after years away from the spotlight.
Bettencourt revealed that musical director Tom Morello had initially asked him to cover the solo on “The Ultimate Sin” because Lee was unsure he could pull it off. Bettencourt refused outright, texting Lee directly: “You are fucking Jake E. Lee. There’s no way in hell I’m taking that solo.” The two ended up trading and doubling parts together, with Bettencourt providing unwavering support.
Bettencourt was in awe of Lee’s humility, telling him point-blank that replacing Randy Rhoads – and then successfully steering Ozzy into a bold new era with albums like The Ultimate Sin and Bark at the Moon – was one of the toughest and most impressive feats in rock history. “Not only did he replace Randy, but he took Ozzy to another place,” Bettencourt said.
Lee rose to the occasion and, according to Bettencourt, “nailed it,” delivering a triumphant and emotional performance that felt like redemption after everything he’d endured.
The full interview with Nuno Bettencourt appears in the latest issue of Guitar World.
