🎸 LOS ANGELES, CA – In what would be a monumental pairing for hard rock and heavy metal fans worldwide, legendary guitarist Jake E. Lee has thrown down the gauntlet, expressing a strong desire to co-headline a tour with his successor in the Ozzy Osbourne band, Zakk Wylde. The revelation came during a discussion with Guitar World concerning the touring cycle for his current band, Red Dragon Cartel, and their sophomore album, Patina.
Lee, whose searing, melodic fretwork defined the Ozzy Osbourne albums Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, acknowledged that while his band, Red Dragon Cartel, plans to embark on a full-scale tour supporting Patina, the specific details are still being finalized. The band is committed to a run of dates in Japan in April, with a potential North American leg preceding it.
“I am [planning a full-scale tour]. I don’t think there’s any firm commitments yet other than I know we’re going to Japan in April, and we’ll probably do an American tour before that,” Lee explained. “Other than that, nothing else is actually set. We’ll probably be doing bars and clubs, although we were hoping to go out on tour with somebody. Ideally, we wanted to do something with Zakk Wylde.”
The Ozzy Connection: Two Eras, One Stage
The suggested pairing is a powerful nod to the lineage of the Prince of Darkness’s band. Jake E. Lee was famously dismissed from Ozzy’s lineup in 1987. His replacement? A then-unknown, shredding phenom named Zakk Wylde, who went on to become one of the most celebrated and longest-tenured guitarists in Osbourne’s history, renowned for his work on No Rest for the Wicked and Ozzmosis.
Lee views the potential double bill not as a rivalry, but as a celebratory convergence of two distinct, yet equally influential, chapters of heavy metal history.
“I just think that would be really cool to have two Ozzy guitar players together,” Lee mused.
Despite the deep connection forged through their mutual work with one of rock’s biggest icons, Lee admits his personal interactions with Wylde have been minimal. The initial idea for the joint tour has already been broached with Wylde’s management team.
“Because I don’t know Zakk personally,” Lee confessed. “I only met him once and that was when he was 19—back when he was skinny and pretty, you know? [Laughs] But it’s been a long time since I’ve actually talked to Zakk.”
Lee recounted their brief, respectful meeting, which occurred shortly after Wylde landed the coveted Ozzy gig. “We were at some hotel in L.A… And Ozzy walked by. And then Zakk walked by and he introduced himself. And he was really cool. I mean, I had nothing against him I just wished him luck. It was a very brief meeting. But he seemed like a nice guy and he’s always been very kind to me in the press.”
Lee’s Respect for Wylde’s Legacy
Lee has previously expressed profound respect for Wylde’s talent, even admitting to a brief, natural feeling of professional jealousy that was quickly replaced by admiration for Wylde’s work. He previously noted that Wylde is “an incredible guitar player” who “ended up being a better fit with Ozzy than I ever was.”
A joint tour featuring Red Dragon Cartel and Wylde’s band, Black Label Society (BLS), or perhaps even his Black Sabbath tribute act, Zakk Sabbath, would be a massive draw for fans of ’80s rock and modern metal. With Wylde’s BLS already having announced an extensive 2026 North American tour, the logistical challenges are real, but the prospect of this guitar summit is too enticing to ignore. For fans seeking a perfect blend of melodic flair and crushing, pinch-harmonic intensity, a Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde tour would be a dream come true.