Jake E. Lee, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s, was shot multiple times during a street shooting early Tuesday morning (October 15th) in Las Vegas, as confirmed by his management. He is in an intensive care unit, but is expected to fully recover.
A full statement from Lee’s publicist reads as follows:
“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 a member of Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band from 1982 through 1987, appearing on the albums Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986). He’s also known for his work in the late ’80s/early ’90s metal band Badlands, as well as his recent group Red Dragon Cartel.
After stepping away from music the past couple years, the 67-year-old Lee recently appeared on the Tone Talk podcast, offering an update on his health. He had believed he’d been suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, preventing him from playing guitar. But as it turns out, it wasn’t carpal tunnel.
“I thought I had carpal tunnel,” said Lee (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I went to a neurologist, and they poked the needles in me and then zapped me. They said I had carpal tunnel. So then I made an appointment with a wrist surgeon, which took a while. I went there. She asked to see some X-rays, which nobody had ever done. She said, ‘Well, before we talk about surgery…’ She took X-rays, came back and said, ‘You don’t have carpal tunnel. You don’t have it. If anybody had taken an X-ray of your wrist, they would have seen you don’t have carpal tunnel.’”
He continued, “Apparently I don’t have any cartilage left in [my right] hand. She said I have very little in [my left hand], but [my left one] doesn’t bother me. So it’s all bone on bone, rubbing against each other, and that’s agitating it. So, right now, I’m getting cortisone shots in the wrist — lots of fun — and physical therapy to get the muscles stronger around it, do a lot of stretching. It’s about pain management now.”
Here’s wishing Jake E. Lee a speedy recovery from the shooting. Watch his appearance on Tone Talk below.