Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee expected to recover after being shot multiple times in Las Vegas
· louderBy Fraser Lewry
( Classic Rock )
published 15 October 2024
The shooting took place as Jake E. Lee was out walking his dog
Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has been shot multiple times in Las Vegas. The news was confirmed in a short statement from his publicist.
The statement reads: "As confirmed by management, legendary rock guitarist Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands, Red Dragon Cartel) was shot multiple times early this morning in a Las Vegas, NV street shooting. Lee is fully conscious and doing well in an intensive care unit at a Las Vegas hospital. He is expected to fully recover.
"Las Vegas authorities believe the shooting was completely random and occurred while Lee took his dog out for a walk in the early morning hours. As the incident is under police investigation, no further comments will be forthcoming. Lee and his family appreciate respecting their privacy at this time."
Lee was hired by Osbourne in 1982 as the full-time replacement for Randy Roads after short stints by Bernie Torme and Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis. After playing on 1983's Bark At The Moon and 1986's The Ultimate Sin he was fired in 1987. He'd go on to perform with Badlands, Wicked Alliance, Mickey Ratt, Enuff Z'Nuff and – after a 15-year silence – with Red Dragon Cartel, whose last album, Patina, was released in 2018.
"I’m old,” Lee told Classic Rock in 2014. “I’m glad that what could possibly be my last hurrah is something that people – some people, at least – have noticed. It makes me feel like I’ve made the right decision to go ahead and do this."
Earlier this month, in an interview with Tone Talk, Lee revealed that he is currently experiencing health issues and that – after initially being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome – doctors told him he had very little cartilage left in his hands. Lee is receiving cortisone injections to be able to perform.
"I am playing again – I have been for about two months maybe – and I wanna go out and do a tour," he said. "I wanna finish doing the Patina tour, which got cancelled because of covid."
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"I would like to go out and do that [with] Red Dragon Cartel, focus on the Patina record and do some more recording. We'll see where that goes."
Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.
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