Jake E. Lee Shares the Final Text Meessage He Got From Ozzy Osbourne Before His Death

Jake E. Lee, former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, has shared the final message he received from his old bandmate shortly before Osbourne’s death at 76. The two briefly reconnected during Back to the Beginning, the farewell show for Black Sabbath, held at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Lee had been part of Ozzy’s band during the 1980s, contributing to albums like Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986). Despite their past success, communication between the two had gone quiet for decades. That silence was broken just weeks before Osbourne’s passing.

The message

In a Facebook post published shortly after Osbourne’s death, Jake E. Lee posted a message he received while sitting in an airport after the concert in Birmingham. It was a casual, friendly text, one that now carries a heavy emotional weight.

“Hi jake, I’m 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 s@#$! 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 anyway, I will text you when i eventually get back to LA and we must hook up. Much love and respect OZZY.”

It wasn’t a grand gesture or an emotional farewell. It was exactly the kind of message you’d expect from an old colleague trying to reconnect after a long time apart.

Lee shared it with the public as part of his grieving process, saying the “finality of it hits me in waves.”

Decades of silence

After a successful run in the mid-’80s, Lee and Osbourne parted ways in 1987, with Zakk Wylde stepping in as the new guitarist. There was no grand exit or very public feud, just distance and time, which often do a better job of ending relationships than arguments ever could.

In interviews over the years, Lee occasionally hinted at unresolved issues or creative disagreements during his time with Ozzy’s band. But whatever bad blood existed appears to have faded.

The text message paints a picture of mutual respect, even if it came a little late.

And yes, fans attending the Back to the Beginning show may not have realized the significance of Jake E. Lee’s appearance. His reunion with Osbourne was short and not heavily publicized, but it gave them both a chance to stand in the same place again, even if only for a moment.

Lee reportedly received a standing ovation from the crowd, many of whom still remember the wild energy of the Bark at the Moon era. His presence helped bridge a gap between the past and the present, between Ozzy’s early solo years and the final bow of Black Sabbath.

While many headlines focused on Osbourne’s final performance with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, moments like Lee’s reunion tell a quieter story. The show wasn’t just about closing a chapter it was more about reconnections, old wounds, and long-lost friendships.

Jake E. Lee has stayed active in music with his band Red Dragon Cartel, and fans will likely be paying closer attention to his next moves.

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