As previously reported, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee was shot multiple times while walking his dog early Tuesday (October 15) in Las Vegas. Now, Osbourne has issued a statement expressing concern for his former bandmate while also condemning “another senseless act of gun violence.”
“It's been 37 years since I saw Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away the impact of hearing what happened to him today,” Osbourne said in a statement released to TMZ on Tuesday night. “It's just another senseless act of gun violence.
The metal icon added: “Sending my thoughts to him and his beautiful daughter, Jade. “I just hope he's okay.”
Lee is currently in an intensive care unit, but is expected to make a full recovery. According to his publicist's statement, Lee “was shot several times before [Tuesday] tomorrow in a street shooting in Las Vegas, NV. Lee is fully conscious and doing well in an intensive care unit at a Las Vegas hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery. “Las Vegas authorities believe the shooting was completely random and occurred while Lee was walking his dog in the early hours of the morning.”
The guitarist was a member of Osbourne's solo band from 1982 to 1987, playing on the albums Barking at the Moon (1983) and The supreme sin (1986). Lee had a dispute with Sharon Osbourne over his songwriting credits while in Ozzy's band, and was eventually fired from the group in 1987.
However, Ozzy has insisted in subsequent interviews that he had nothing against readsaying his drummer at the time. Randy Castillo, had turned him against Lee. As evidenced by his statement, Ozzy seems deeply concerned about his former bandmate.
Lee went on to form the band Badlands with singer Ray Gillen in the late '80s and the group Red Dragon Cartel in 2013.
Watch Ozzy Osbourne and Jake E. Lee perform “Bark at the Moon” in 1984 below.
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