🎸 It’s amazing how the threads of rock history weave back together. Seeing Jake E. Lee recently take the stage at the “Back To The Beginning” farewell show in Birmingham felt incredibly apropos, especially as it marked the end of Ozzy Osbourne’s touring career and the final set by Black Sabbath. To honor the era, Jake performed two tracks from the The Ultimate Sin album: the title track and the hit single “Shot In The Dark.”
This full-circle moment brought me back to my own history with the guitar legend. I first interviewed Jake for the November 1986 issue of Guitar World magazine, where we discussed his work on The Ultimate Sin. It’s a fitting connection that resonates nearly four decades later.
A Look Back at a Landmark Issue
My professional connection with Jake continued, and I spoke with him again on December 17, 2013, as he was launching his newest venture, Red Dragon Cartel.
That November 1986 issue of Guitar World was a genuinely landmark publication, carrying more than just the story with Ozzy’s then-newest guitarist. Besides the Jake E. Lee piece, I also wrote the cover story on Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.
The Night EVH Met Les Paul
Perhaps the most unforgettable feature in that issue documented a truly historic moment: the night I introduced Eddie Van Halen to Les Paul! This occurred during their induction into Guitar Center’s “Rockwalk of Fame” on the Sunset Strip.
At the time, I was heavily immersed in researching and writing Edward Van Halen’s authorized biography. This story about the meeting between EVH and the inventor of the electric guitar was one of the early installments serialized in Guitar World. The intention was to offer readers a preview of the upcoming book, a project that, sadly, never saw fruition. Fortunately, that specific piece of rock history did survive and was eventually published years later in my book, Tonechaser, proving that the best stories always find their way out.
This journey—from an interview about a new Ozzy album to witnessing a farewell show decades later, all tied back to a single, iconic magazine issue—shows the enduring, interconnected power of rock and roll.