Biography
Although guitarist Jake E. Lee lent his talents to just two albums alongside Ozzy Osbourne, those efforts propelled Osbourne toward a pair of the biggest-selling records across his lengthy and storied solo run. Born Jake Lou Williams on February 15, 1957, to parents of American and Japanese descent, he and his family ultimately relocated to the San Diego, California, region. Classical piano instruction during childhood gave way to rock music after Williams explored his older sister’s record collection, featuring artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. By adolescence he had taken up the guitar, drawing inspiration from technically demanding players including Tommy Bolin, Jeff Beck, and Ritchie Blackmore.
In the late 1970s Williams performed with several Hollywood-area groups, among them Mickey Ratt, the ensemble that later transformed into the 1980s glam-rock act Ratt. He next spent a brief interval with the little-known Greg Leon Invasion before handling guitar duties for Rough Cutt, another band that would later release 1980s albums long after his exit. Local bassist Dana Strum, already responsible for recruiting Randy Rhoads into Ozzy Osbourne’s band a few years earlier, soon arranged an audition for Williams. Although future Dokken guitarist George Lynch received the initial offer, that arrangement fell through, clearing the path for Williams to join. He adopted the stage name Jake E. Lee and made his debut with Osbourne at the 1983 U.S. Festival, performing before roughly 350,000 metal fans.
Bark at the Moon, Lee’s first studio album with Osbourne, arrived in fall 1983 and earned platinum certification; an extensive tour followed, with then-unknown Mötley Crüe in the opening slot, quickly establishing Lee among rock’s most compelling new guitarists. After another large-scale appearance at Rock in Rio in January 1985, the pair paused before commencing work on their next release. Issued in early 1986, The Ultimate Sin became Osbourne’s most pop-oriented solo effort to date; despite some fan criticism of its polished production, the album also achieved platinum status, and the subsequent tour, again featuring an emerging opening act in Metallica, sold out across venues.
Behind the scenes, however, tensions mounted between Lee and Osbourne, whose conduct grew increasingly erratic amid heavy alcohol and drug use, prompting Lee’s departure in 1987. Following a period of reflection during which he reportedly turned down an invitation to join Whitesnake, Lee briefly collaborated with another ex-Black Sabbath vocalist, Ray Gillen, forming the Led Zeppelin–influenced outfit Badlands. Their self-titled debut appeared in June 1989, delivering a robust set of classic-rock material that charted modestly and earned positive notices. Only one further release, 1991’s Voodoo Highway, emerged before the group disbanded; an unreleased project titled Dusk surfaced later in the decade. Lee then played briefly with World War III before pursuing solo work, issuing A Fine Pink Mist in August 1996; rumors circulated that Osbourne had attempted unsuccessfully to lure him back during the mid-1990s.
Thereafter Lee focused more on session contributions and tribute projects than on sustained band commitments or a conventional solo trajectory. He recorded for Japanese-market releases by artists including Ann Lewis, Air Pavillion, and Rob Rock, and appeared on tribute albums honoring Jeff Beck (Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle), Rush (Working Man), AC/DC (Thunderbolt), Randy Rhoads (Randy Rhoads Tribute), Van Halen (‘80s Metal Tribute to Van Halen), Metallica (Metallic Assault), Ted Nugent (Bulletproof Fever), the Cult (Fire Woman), and Queen (Dragon Attack and Stone Cold Queen). In 2013 Lee formed his first official band since Badlands, Red Dragon Cartel, which issued a self-titled debut the following year.
In the late 1970s Williams performed with several Hollywood-area groups, among them Mickey Ratt, the ensemble that later transformed into the 1980s glam-rock act Ratt. He next spent a brief interval with the little-known Greg Leon Invasion before handling guitar duties for Rough Cutt, another band that would later release 1980s albums long after his exit. Local bassist Dana Strum, already responsible for recruiting Randy Rhoads into Ozzy Osbourne’s band a few years earlier, soon arranged an audition for Williams. Although future Dokken guitarist George Lynch received the initial offer, that arrangement fell through, clearing the path for Williams to join. He adopted the stage name Jake E. Lee and made his debut with Osbourne at the 1983 U.S. Festival, performing before roughly 350,000 metal fans.
Bark at the Moon, Lee’s first studio album with Osbourne, arrived in fall 1983 and earned platinum certification; an extensive tour followed, with then-unknown Mötley Crüe in the opening slot, quickly establishing Lee among rock’s most compelling new guitarists. After another large-scale appearance at Rock in Rio in January 1985, the pair paused before commencing work on their next release. Issued in early 1986, The Ultimate Sin became Osbourne’s most pop-oriented solo effort to date; despite some fan criticism of its polished production, the album also achieved platinum status, and the subsequent tour, again featuring an emerging opening act in Metallica, sold out across venues.
Behind the scenes, however, tensions mounted between Lee and Osbourne, whose conduct grew increasingly erratic amid heavy alcohol and drug use, prompting Lee’s departure in 1987. Following a period of reflection during which he reportedly turned down an invitation to join Whitesnake, Lee briefly collaborated with another ex-Black Sabbath vocalist, Ray Gillen, forming the Led Zeppelin–influenced outfit Badlands. Their self-titled debut appeared in June 1989, delivering a robust set of classic-rock material that charted modestly and earned positive notices. Only one further release, 1991’s Voodoo Highway, emerged before the group disbanded; an unreleased project titled Dusk surfaced later in the decade. Lee then played briefly with World War III before pursuing solo work, issuing A Fine Pink Mist in August 1996; rumors circulated that Osbourne had attempted unsuccessfully to lure him back during the mid-1990s.
Thereafter Lee focused more on session contributions and tribute projects than on sustained band commitments or a conventional solo trajectory. He recorded for Japanese-market releases by artists including Ann Lewis, Air Pavillion, and Rob Rock, and appeared on tribute albums honoring Jeff Beck (Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle), Rush (Working Man), AC/DC (Thunderbolt), Randy Rhoads (Randy Rhoads Tribute), Van Halen (‘80s Metal Tribute to Van Halen), Metallica (Metallic Assault), Ted Nugent (Bulletproof Fever), the Cult (Fire Woman), and Queen (Dragon Attack and Stone Cold Queen). In 2013 Lee formed his first official band since Badlands, Red Dragon Cartel, which issued a self-titled debut the following year.
Albums
