Jake E. Lee recently talked about performing at Ozzy Osbourne’s last concert, “Back to the Beginning.” He shared how he prepared and how it felt to be part of such a historic event during an interview with Chris Jericho.
Lee Felt Nervous Before Rehearsal
Even though he has been a professional guitarist for many years, Lee admitted he actually felt nervous before the first rehearsal. He normally never gets nervous, but watching other musicians like Nuno Bettencourt rehearse made him feel pressured while waiting for his turn. Support from other band members helped him calm down and focus.
“The first rehearsal, which was the night after I arrived, at the first rehearsal, I actually got nervous, which I never do,” Lee said. “It’s not in my nature to get nervous. What’s going to happen is going to happen. Worrying about it doesn’t do anything. But watching Nuno Bettencourt and the musicians rehearsing their songs while I was standing there waiting for my turn, I started to get really nervous, which was weird.”
Frank Bello from Anthrax helped Lee relax by telling him that fans would be excited no matter what he played. The supportive comment eased his nerves and helped him feel confident again.
“Frank Bello was standing next to me, and he turns to me and he says, ‘I can’t wait to watch you.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m really nervous.’ And he’s like, ‘No, you’re Jake E. Lee. You could go up there and fart and we’d applaud.’ That made me feel okay.”
Months of Practice and a Difficult Solo
Lee spent four months preparing for the show. He had to rebuild his picking technique because of a wrist injury. He chose to perform “Ultimate Sin,” but he forgot how hard its guitar solo was. Some days he felt he could play it perfectly, while other days he struggled so badly that he felt like he couldn’t perform it at all.
“I had picked Ultimate Sin because I knew that I could do that. But I forgot how hard the solo is,” Lee explained. “I’m doing the solo and I’m like, ‘Oh sh*t, I don’t know if I can pull this off.’ Some days I’d pick the guitar up and I go, ‘Yeah, I can do it.’ But then there’d be other days where I sounded like Nikki Sixx playing bass.”
Tom Morello Said the Show Needed Jake E. Lee
Tom Morello, the musical director for the event, personally told Lee that the concert wouldn’t feel right without him. Morello’s encouragement convinced Lee to join the show despite his health issues and concerns about performing.
The concert happened on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. It was the final time Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath performed live together. Lee hadn’t seen Ozzy since leaving the band in 1987. The reunion made him feel valued after years of feeling forgotten in Ozzy’s history.
Lee Overcame Serious Health Issues to Perform
During preparation, Lee had to deal with arthritis and pain from injuries related to a previous shooting. These health problems made it hard to play at the level he expected from himself, but he pushed through the physical and mental challenges to give a strong performance.
Ozzy’s Death Makes the Show Even More Important
Ozzy Osbourne passed away on July 22, 2025, just 17 days after the concert. This confirmed that “Back to the Beginning” was truly his final show. Jake E. Lee’s performance and their brief reunion before the concert are now seen as a meaningful and irreplaceable moment in rock history.
