🎸 After forming Red Dragon Cartel in 2013 and releasing two well-received albums, guitarist Jake E. Lee seemed firmly back in the music scene. However, following the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, Lee took another extended hiatus, a pattern he previously followed after his band Badlands dissolved in 1993. Now, Lee is battling through severe physical obstacles as he attempts a return.
Health Battles and a Life-Threatening Incident
Lee is dealing with serious health issues that complicate his return to playing:
* Severe Arthritis: He suffers from particularly painful arthritis in his right hand, which he describes as having “basically no cartilage.”
* Gunshot Wounds: In a life-threatening incident in October 2024, Lee was shot multiple times while walking his dog near his home in Las Vegas.
* While none of the injuries were life-threatening, damage was sustained to his left arm, adding to the pain he experiences when playing guitar.
Lee maintains a determined, if cynical, outlook on enduring the pain. “I can live with some pain,” he remarked. “That’s why they created alcohol.”
The Path Back to the Fretboard
Faced with a debilitating combination of injuries, Lee has been focusing on intensive physical therapy. The time off, forced initially by the pandemic, has had a silver lining.
The guitarist has been reconnecting with his extensive collection of vintage guitars, including his beloved SGs, his ’58 Les Paul, and various hollow- and semi-hollowbodies.
While he is currently writing new material, he is easing back into recording. His first official return to the studio involved laying down a bluesy solo for an upcoming album by fellow Las Vegas resident and Count’s 77 guitarist, Stoney Curtis.
The Ozzy Osbourne Reconciliation
(Note: The article excerpt provided focuses primarily on Lee’s physical struggles, time off, and initial return to recording, but does not contain the details regarding Nuno, Ozzy Osbourne, or the “Back to the Beginning” event mentioned in the headline quote. I will rephrase the provided body text only.)
The prevailing thought is that Lee simply chooses to power through the immense physical difficulty, preferring pain management to retirement—a choice he previously made in 2020. The results of his time away and subsequent therapy are now leading him back toward the stage.