“He told Sharon, ‘I know a lot of guitar players. We don’t have to use him’”: Jake E. Lee recalls how his conflict with producer Ron Nevison impacted Ozzy Osbourne’s The Ultimate Sin

British musician Ozzy Osbourne and American guitarist Jake E. Lee perform at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Chicago, Illinois, July 13, 1986.

Ozzy Osbourne’s fourth studio album, 1986’s The Ultimate Sin, was fraught with disagreements between guitarist Jake E. Lee and renowned producer Ron Nevison.

Lee – who had already managed to navigate a contractual dispute regarding publishing and writing rights with Ozzy – was now faced with a producer who was ready to replace him at the drop of a hat.