Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt earned widespread praise as the “MVP” of the recent Back to the Beginning concert – the star-studded farewell celebration for Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s catalog – after performing on a staggering 12 songs alongside legends like Tom Morello, Zakk Wylde, and Metallica.
But there was one iconic solo Bettencourt flat-out refused to play: Jake E. Lee’s blazing spot on Ozzy’s 1986 track “The Ultimate Sin.”
With Jake E. Lee dealing with health issues that have affected his playing, organizers initially planned for Bettencourt to cover “Bark at the Moon” (which he did) and, and Tom Morello later asked if Nuno could also handle the “Ultimate Sin” solo to lighten Lee’s load.
Bettencourt’s response was immediate and emphatic.
In a new Guitar World interview, he recounts grabbing Lee’s phone number from Morello and texting the former Ozzy guitarist directly:
“You are fucking Jake E. Lee. There’s no way in hell I’m taking that solo. You’re going to play that solo. And not only that, I’ll double it with you, and we’ll do it together. Whatever happens, it’s going to be fucking incredible.”
That’s exactly what happened. The two guitarists shared the solo side-by-side, turning a potential concession into a triumphant moment.
Bettencourt went even further during “Shot in the Dark,” another signature Jake E. Lee-era Ozzy track. Although he was scheduled to play rhythm guitar throughout the song, Nuno quietly walked off stage mid-performance without telling anyone, leaving Lee alone in the spotlight.
“I come from a one-guitar band,” Bettencourt explained. “We never wanted a rhythm player stealing thunder. I wanted Jake to have his moment by himself up there. And he nailed it.”
The gestures underscore the deep respect younger shredders like Bettencourt have for the often-underappreciated Jake E. Lee, whose groundbreaking work on Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin helped define Ozzy’s wildly successful mid-’80s era.
Read Nuno Bettencourt’s full backstage account of the historic show in the latest issue of Guitar World, now available via Magazines Direct.
