Former Ozzy Osbourne Guitarist Jake E. Lee Shot in Random Attack

Guitarist Jake E. Lee, known for shredding alongside Ozzy Osbourne and his own projects like Badlands and Red Dragon Cartel, took quite an unexpected hit this week—literally. Early Tuesday, Lee was shot multiple times while out for an early morning stroll in Las Vegas. Lucky for him, and perhaps unlucky for anyone still doubting his resilience, the guy is still conscious and chilling in the ICU, making everyone else look soft. Doctors expect him to fully recover, because of course they do—he’s Jake E. Lee.

Las Vegas authorities, who apparently think stating the obvious is their specialty, confirmed the shooting was random. No mastermind plot here, just an unlucky moment while Lee was out walking his dog. Police are still looking into it, but don’t expect any juicy updates soon. His camp wants privacy right now, so we’ll have to wait.

For those unfamiliar with Jake E. Lee’s rock royalty status, he’s the guy Ozzy Osbourne tapped to replace the legendary Randy Rhoads. He laid down guitar on two pretty iconic records: “Bark At The Moon” in 1983 and “The Ultimate Sin” in 1986. He’s not a guy you forget about, especially when he’s still out there making noise—both musically and, apparently, now involuntarily on the streets.

Not too long ago, Lee dropped an update about his ongoing battle with carpal tunnel syndrome—or what he thought was carpal tunnel. In an interview with Tone-Talk, he recalled the wild medical goose chase that left him with, not surgery, but cortisone shots. Turns out, after all the poking and prodding, a surgeon finally thought to take X-rays and discovered the real problem—no cartilage. In other words, Lee has been grinding bone-on-bone every time he plays. Fun stuff, right?

“I thought I had carpal tunnel,” Lee explained, “but after all the needles and zaps, I finally saw a wrist surgeon. She took X-rays and said, ‘You don’t have carpal tunnel. You’ve got no cartilage in your right hand.’ So now, it’s all about pain management. Cortisone shots, physical therapy—no surgery for me.”

With that lovely diagnosis, Lee still isn’t ready to hang up the guitar just yet. “I’ve been playing again,” he mentioned, “for about two months now. Yeah, I’ve gotta learn to play more from the elbow, but whatever keeps me going. I’m looking to finish the tour we had to cancel back in the COVID days for ‘Patina’.” That’s dedication for you—he’s back on the grind, wrist be damned.

Speaking of “Patina”, that’s Red Dragon Cartel’s second album, dropped back in November 2018. For those who don’t remember, Phil Varone of Saigon Kick and Skid Row drummed on this one, while Anthony Esposito handled bass and co-produced it with Lee. Unlike their heavier debut, this record took a turn toward bluesy hard rock—probably a nice change of pace for a guy trying not to destroy his hands entirely.

And let’s not forget the big name in the credits—Max Norman, who’s worked with just about everyone that matters in heavy metal, including Megadeth and Savatage. So, if you haven’t given ‘Patina’ a listen yet, maybe now’s the time. You know, before Lee goes full elbow-only guitar style and changes things up for good.

In case you were wondering, Red Dragon Cartel has seen more vocalists than a reality show audition. The revolving door landed back on Darren James Smith in 2015, after a brief hiatus. Before that, they were switching out singers faster than you could name them—Shawn Crosby, Paul D’Eath, Chas West, and Michael Beck all had a turn. But now, Smith seems to be sticking around, at least for the time being.

And with Lee back in action, who knows what’s next? A tour, maybe. More recording, possibly. Either way, we’re definitely getting more Jake E. Lee—whether his hands agree or not.

Wishing Jake E. Lee a speedy and full recovery. Here’s to seeing him back on his feet—and back on stage—soon. Stay strong, Jake.