Jake
E. Lee
He
may have appeared on only a pair of albums with Ozzy Osbourne, but
guitarist Jake E. Lee helped Osbourne score two of the most commercially
successful releases of his long and illustrious career. Born Jake
Lou Williams on February 15, 1957, to American and Japanese parents,
Lee and his family eventually settled down in the San Diego, CA, area.
After taking classical piano lessons as a child, Williams was introduced
to rock via his older sister's record collection (Jimi Hendrix, Led
Zeppelin, etc.). By his teenage years, Williams had picked up the
guitar himself, influenced by such fiery and technically proficient
players as Tommy Bolin, Jeff Beck, and Ritchie Blackmore.
During
the late '70s, Williams began playing in bands around the Hollywood
area, including Mickey Rat, which would eventually evolve into '80s
pretty boy rockers Ratt. After jumping ship to briefly join the obscure
outfit the Greg Leon Invasion, Williams wound up laying down guitar
for Rough Cutt during a short spell (like Ratt, Rough Cutt would go
on to issue albums during the '80s, only long after Lee had left).
But
Williams didn't have to wait long for his next band opportunity --
local bassist Dana Strum was asked to help recruit the next guitarist
for Ozzy Osbourne's solo band (Strum had recruited Randy Rhoads for
Osbourne a few years prior), who in turn set up a tryout for Lee.
Future Dokken guitarist George Lynch was initially given the nod but
ultimately didn't work out, resulting in Williams being welcomed aboard.
After changing his name to Jake E. Lee, he joined Osbourne for his
first U.S. performance at the 1983 U.S. Festival (in front of an estimated
350,000 metalheads).
In
the fall of that same year, Lee's first album with Osbourne was issued,
Bark at the Moon, a platinum hit that was followed by a mammoth tour
(with then-unknowns Mötley Crüe serving as support) -- promptly
making Lee one of rock's most exciting new guitarists. After an appearance
at another immense festival in January of 1985, Rock in Rio, Lee and
Osbourne took a break and eventually began working on their second
album together. Osbourne's most commercial-sounding album of his solo
career, The Ultimate Sin, was issued in early 1986. Although the more
glossed-up sound caused some consternation amongst longtime Osbourne
fans, the album became another platinum hit, while the ensuing tour
(which included another opening group that would soon hit the big
time, Metallica) was a sold-out success.
But
not all was fine and dandy behind the scenes between Lee and Osbourne.
Osbourne's behavior was at its most unpredictable during this point
due to alcohol and drug abuse, leading to Lee's departure in 1987.
After a period of reassessment (it was speculated that Lee declined
an invitation to join Whitesnake around this time), Lee joined up
with another former Black Sabbath singer (albeit briefly), Ray Gillen,
and formed the Led Zeppelin/classic rock-esque outfit Badlands. The
group's self-titled debut was issued in June of 1989 -- an inspired
set of rough and ready rock that performed respectfully on the charts
and received favorable reviews. Yet only one more album would be issued
from the band, 1991's Voodoo Highway, before Badlands went their separate
ways (an unreleased album, Dusk, would be issued later in the decade).
Subsequently, Lee played briefly with a band called World War III
before setting off on his own, issuing his solo debut, A Fine Pink
Mist, in August of 1996 (supposedly, Osbourne was unsuccessful at
convincing Lee to reunite once more during the mid-'90s).
In
later years, Lee appeared more interested in contributing guitar work
to other artist's albums and tribute albums than launching another
full-time band or focusing on a proper solo career. Lee has played
on albums released only in Japan by such artists as Ann Lewis, Air
Pavillion, and Rob Rock, plus tribute albums for Jeff Beck (Jeffology:
A Guitar Chronicle), Rush (Working Man), AC/DC (Thunderbolt), Randy
Rhoads (Randy Rhoads Tribute), Van Halen (2000: A Tribute To), Metallica
(Metallic Assault), Ted Nugent (Bulletproof Fever), the Cult (Fire
Woman), and a pair for Queen (Dragon Attack and Stone Cold Queen).
~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
Discography:
Dusk
released 1998
Fine
Pink Mist released 1996
Voodoo
Highway released 1991
Badlands
released 1989
The
Ultimate Sin released 1986
Bark
at the Moon released 1983
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