Onetime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has opened up about the upcoming Back to the Beginning farewell concert and discussed what he might be playing at the epic concert event. It might come as a surprise, but Lee has suggested he may not be playing the song that most would suspect.
“I know people are expecting ‘Bark at the Moon,’ but I don’t know,” he tells Guitar World. “Right now, with my wrist, the arthritis and everything, that would be very challenging. I have a couple of months to get up to it, so I’ll practice it just in case that’s the one. But that’s going to be pretty challenging for me physically.”
Given that there’s some doubt about his ability to physically pull off arguably the most famous song from his era with Ozzy, Lee has a suggestion that might work better.
“I’m shooting for ‘Ultimate Sin,’” he shared. “It’s heavy, and I like the solo in it.”
Lee is among a wealth of musicians on board for the day that are expected to form supergroups as they pay homage to Ozzy and Black Sabbath’s musical legacy. The guitarist told Guitar World that it’s “thrilling” to be part of such an event and having the chance to be part of Ozzy’s farewell.
The guitarist played with Ozzy from 1982 through 1987, appearing on the Bark at the Moon, The Ultimate Sin and Ultimate Live Ozzy albums.
About the Back to the Beginning Concert
Set for July 5 at the Villa Park venue in Birmingham, England, the day-long concert event will feature sets by Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons leading up to the big moment when Ozzy and Black Sabbath get to close out the evening.
READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne Dropped a Band From Ozzy + Black Sabbath’s Farewell Show – Here’s Why
Throughout the day, there will be a number of big name musicians also finding ways to pay their musical respects with some of them paired up in supergroups. Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, David Draiman, Duff McKagan, Fred Durst, Lzzy Hale, Jake E. Lee, Jonathan Davis, K.K. Downing, Mike Bordin, Papa V Perpetua, Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Slash, Sleep Token II, Wolfgang Van Halen, Steven Tyler, Soundgarden, Andrew Watt, Chad Smith, Vernon Reid, Whitfield Crane and David Ellefson are among those set to appear. In addition, Aquaman actor Jason Momoa will serve as a host throughout the day.
How You Can Watch the Back to the Beginning Concert
Broadcast directly from Birmingham’s Villa Park, fans around the world will now be able to watch the entire metal family come together to celebrate Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy. Ozzy himself will play a short set before joining his Black Sabbath bandmates onstage for one final performance.
A pay-per-view Back to the Beginning global livestream is now being provided so that fans may access this historic moment. The raw livestream will begin at 3PM BST on July 5 and those who purchase the livestream will continue to have exclusive access to watch the concert in its entirety for another 48 hours.
Livestream tickets are currently available through the Back to the Beginning website.
Sharon Osbourne commented, “We had such an overwhelming demand from fans from around the globe, who couldn’t get tickets to the show, and they took to social media, pleading with us to broadcast a livestream of the show. Being this is such a historic event, we just couldn’t let them down.”
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