Jake E. Lee filled some legendary shoes when he took the late, great Randy Rhodes’ place in Ozzy Osbourne’s band in 1983. He toured with the band and played on Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986) before leaving the band in 1987. Earlier this year, when Osbourne and Black Sabbath took the stage for the final time during Back to the Beginning, Lee was part of the star-studded lineup.
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Lee took the stage in Birmingham to play two songs from The Ultimate Sin: the title track and “Shot in the Dark.” He shared the stage with Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Lizzy Hale (Halestorm), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne), and David Draiman (Disturbed). It was an intergenerational supergroup of heavy metal talent, and a treat for fans of all ages. However, some fans noticed that while Lee’s playing was as good as ever, he was out of tune.
Jake E. Lee Discusses Being Out of Tune During Ozzy Osbourne’s Farewell Show
In a recent interview, Jake E. Lee reflected on his performance during Back to the Beginning. During the discussion, he admitted that his guitar was out of tune. However, it didn’t bother him much at the time.
“I was backstage, and I knew my guitar needed tuning. I kept saying, ‘Where’s the rest of the band? Shouldn’t I be out there?’ But they said, ‘No, we’re not ready for you,’” he recalled. Before he knew it, it was time to take the stage, and he hadn’t taken the time to tune. However, that worry was pushed to the back of his mind when he walked out to a massive crowd chanting his name.
“The crowd was chanting my name. It was overwhelming. I’m surprised I didn’t trip and fall down,” Lee said. “But, because of all that, I was a little out of tune, but it was worth it. To have that introduction and reaction was good for my soul,” he explained.
Watch Jake E. Lee walk out to a crowd–and stage–full of excited Ozzy Osbourne fans in the video below.
Featured Image by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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