Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E Lee shot multiple times in Las Vegas
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Jake E Lee, the guitarist widely recognized for his work with Ozzy Osbourne between 1982 and 1987, has suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Lee, who is 67 years old, is recognized for his contributions to metal bands such as Badlands and Red Dragon Cartel.
Osbourne reacted to the news by referring to the shooting as yet another pointless incident of gun violence.
In a message to Fox News Digital, representatives for Lee stated: “Management has confirmed that the iconic rock guitarist Jake E. Lee (known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands, and Red Dragon Cartel) was shot several times in a street shooting early this morning in Las Vegas, NV.”
Lee is awake and stable in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Las Vegas. Doctors anticipate that he will make a complete recovery.
Officials in Las Vegas think the shooting was entirely unprovoked and happened while Lee was walking his dog early in the morning.
"Since the matter is currently being looked into by the police, we won’t be able to provide any additional remarks. Lee and his family kindly ask that their privacy is honored during this period."
The Independent has reached out to Lee's team for verification.
Lee was born on February 15, 1957, in Norfolk, Virginia. He spent his childhood in San Diego, where he started his first band called Teaser.
In 1980, he became a member of a local heavy metal group called Mickey Ratt, which soon changed their name to Ratt. They moved to the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, where they finally found success as a glam metal band.
Lee moved on from Ratt to perform with various other bands, such as Sexist and Rough Cutt. He then became a member of Ronnie James Dio's group, previously the lead singer of Black Sabbath, before being brought on board by Ozzy Osbourne in 1982. Lee played a significant role in writing tracks for Osbourne’s albums, including Bark at the Moon in 1983 and The Ultimate Sin in 1986. Throughout this time, he toured extensively around the globe as the band rose to fame, establishing itself as one of the most acclaimed names in heavy metal history.
In 1987, Lee was unexpectedly let go from Osbourne’s band. The lead singer would later claim that he had no personal problems with Lee; instead, it seemed that the guitarist had lost the support of drummer Randy Castillo and bassist Phil Soussan.
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After leaving Osbourne's band, Lee created a new group called Badlands with vocalist Ray Gillen in 1988. Following Gillen's passing in 1993, Lee started another band named Wicked Alliance.
Following several years of relative silence, Lee established a new group called Red Dragon Cartel in 2013. They launched their first album, which shares the same name as the band, in 2014, and in 2018, they released a second album titled Patina.
