💔 LOS ANGELES, CA — The Heavy Metal world continues to mourn the passing of the legendary Ozzy Osbourne, but for his former guitarist Jake E. Lee, the grief is tinged with the profound sadness of a promised reunion that will now never happen. Lee, who played a significant role in Osbourne’s mid-1980s solo career, has shared a deeply personal and raw tribute, revealing what may have been the final text message he ever received from the Prince of Darkness.
The message, which Lee posted on social media, arrived just two weeks ago as the guitarist was sitting in an airport, heading home after participating in Osbourne’s final career event, the “Back to the Beginning” concert in Birmingham, England.
The Last Promise: “We Must Hook Up”
Lee, who contributed to iconic albums like Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin, had not been in regular contact with the singer for decades. His invitation to the farewell concert, organized by Tom Morello, was a surprising and deeply moving reunion after nearly 40 years. While the chaos of the massive all-star lineup event meant the former bandmates only had brief moments together, Ozzy’s text shows he was eager to properly reconnect:
> “Hi jake im so sorry i couldnt spend more time with you on the weekend but it was really caotic, i would really like to see you when i eventually get back to LA just to shoot the shit its been so long since we saw each other, where have are you living these days, because the last thing i herd was you were living in Las vegas. How did the gig go for you on Saturday i really hope you had fun. i will text you when i eventually get back to LA and we must hook up much love and respect OZZY.”
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The text, unfiltered and unmistakably Ozzy with its characteristic lack of capitalization, is filled with warmth, honesty, and genuine regret for the missed opportunity to properly chat. The final line—a promise to “hook up”—is now tragically poignant in light of Osbourne’s sudden passing from a heart attack at the age of 76, only days after the historic farewell concert.
A “Forgotten Footnote” Finds Closure
Lee revealed in previous interviews that he had often felt like a “forgotten footnote” in the sprawling narrative of Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy. Despite co-writing some of Ozzy’s biggest hits, the guitarist’s profile often suffered in comparison to those of Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde.
The invitation to the “Back to the Beginning” event, which brought together various former members of Black Sabbath and Osbourne’s solo band, offered Lee a measure of closure and validation. That event, combined with the personal, heartfelt text message, provided Lee with the definitive confirmation that the Prince of Darkness held genuine respect and affection for his former guitarist.
“The finality of it hits me in waves,” Lee wrote in his tribute post, a sentiment shared by millions of Heavy Metal Fans globally. The final message from Ozzy Osbourne stands as a testament to the singer’s enduring kindness and his desire to mend bridges and cherish the past, even in the final days of his extraordinary life.