Health Scare Over: Jake E. Lee Ditches Surgery, Ready for Red Dragon Cartel Tour

🎸 Legendary Ozzy Osbourne Guitarist Reveals Arthritis, Not Carpal Tunnel, and Vows Return to the Road

Iconic hard rock guitarist Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands) has given a comprehensive and optimistic update on his health struggles, revealing a misdiagnosis of his severe hand pain and confirming he is not only playing guitar again but is ready to take his band, Red Dragon Cartel, back out on tour.

In a candid interview with Tone-Talk, Lee explained that a specialist’s X-ray revealed the true cause of his debilitating hand pain, which had sidelined him for years: not carpal tunnel syndrome, as previously reported, but severe arthritis caused by a complete loss of cartilage in his right wrist.

Bone-on-Bone Reality: Pain Management Over Fusion

The diagnosis of “bone on bone” contact in his right wrist presented a radical choice: either manage the pain or fuse the bones together, a procedure Lee noted could drastically change his distinct playing style. Fellow guitar legend Steve Morse famously underwent a similar fusion.

Lee, however, has opted against the irreversible surgery, choosing a path of pain management.

“She [the surgeon] said I have very little [cartilage left] in [my right hand]. So it’s all bone on bone, rubbing against each other, and that’s agitating it,” Lee explained. “Right now, I’m getting cortisone shots in the wrist… and physical therapy to get the muscles stronger around it.”

This approach has allowed the electric guitar player to reinvent his technique, relying more on his elbow movement to minimize stress on the wrist. After four or five years of severely limited playing, Lee reports significant improvement: “I am playing again—I have been for about two months maybe—and I wanna go out and do a tour.”

Red Dragon Cartel’s Return and the ‘Patina’ Legacy

Lee’s determination means he is pushing for the completion of the Red Dragon Cartel’s tour cycle for their 2018 album, Patina, which was abruptly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patina, the band’s second offering, marked a stylistic shift from their heavier 2014 debut, leaning into a more bluesy hard rock direction. The album was co-produced by Lee and bassist Anthony Esposito and mixed by the legendary Max Norman (Megadeth, Savatage). The current lineup, featuring drummer Phil Varone and singer Darren James Smith, is poised to finally bring the acclaimed record to live audiences.

Lee is eager to get back to writing and recording new material following the tour, solidifying his return to the hard rock music scene.

The Rock Resilience of a Legend

This latest health battle follows a period of extreme personal adversity for the veteran rocker, including his miraculous recovery from multiple gunshot injuries sustained near his Las Vegas home in late 2024.

Having originally been tapped to replace the late Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne’s band—and famously playing on the classics Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin—Lee’s career is defined by talent and enduring resilience. His refusal to let a dire diagnosis end his passion for the six-string solidifies his status as a true rock survivor.