Nuno Bettencourt recently revealed the thoughtful reasoning behind his decision to walk offstage during Jake E. Lee’s performance at Black Sabbath’s farewell show. He shared his perspective in an interview with Guitar World.
The Extreme guitarist addressed a question about ensuring Jake E. Lee had his moment to shine during the “Back to the Beginning” tribute without interference from other players.
When asked if he made sure Jake E. Lee had his solo moment at the Sabbath farewell show, Bettencourt explained the collaborative approach behind the scenes.
“At one point, Tom Morello said, ‘Jake said, ‘I know Nuno has a lot on his plate, but could he maybe take the Ultimate Sin solo?” We all know that, as legendary as Jake is, he’s struggling a little bit, as we all do as we get older and don’t know what’s going to happen to our hands and bodies,” Bettencourt said.
The guitarist then described his immediate response to support his fellow musician.
“But I told Tom, ‘Give me his phone number right now.’ I texted Jake and told him, ‘You are f*cking Jake E. Lee. There’s no way in hell I’m taking that solo. You’re going to play that solo. And not only that, I’ll double it with you, and we’ll do it together. Whatever happens, it’s going to be f*cking incredible,’ and that’s what we did,” he continued.
Bettencourt then revealed his spontaneous decision during another song performance.
“And I was supposed to play on Shot in the Dark. I didn’t tell anybody I was doing it – but I just walked off the stage. I wanted Jake to have his moment without another guitar player stealing his thunder. We all came from one-guitar bands. We didn’t want rhythm guitarists. I wanted Jake to have his one moment up there by himself, so I just left. And Jake nailed it,” he concluded.
This gesture of musical camaraderie took place during a significant moment in rock history. The tribute show marked an important farewell to Black Sabbath’s legacy.
Guitar World reported that the July 5 “Back to the Beginning” tribute featured multiple guitar legends collaborating on classic Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath material. Bettencourt was already scheduled to perform on Lee’s signature Ozzy tune “Bark at the Moon,” which Lee couldn’t perform due to ongoing health struggles that have affected his playing ability.
The collaboration between Bettencourt and Lee on “The Ultimate Sin” became one of the evening’s highlights. Sound Fury Magazine noted that the performance featured Lzzy Hale on vocals alongside Nuno Bettencourt and Jake E. Lee on guitars, with Dave Ellefson from Megadeth on bass and Mike Bordin on drums. This created a supergroup moment for the classic Ozzy track.
Jake E. Lee’s connection to these songs runs deep. He was Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist during a crucial period in the 1980s. IMDb documented that Lee and Osbourne released several popular songs and blockbuster platinum albums together, including “Bark At The Moon” in 1984 and “The Ultimate Sin” in 1986. This made Lee’s performance of these tracks particularly meaningful for longtime fans.
The tribute show represented more than just a musical performance. It showcased the respect and brotherhood that exists among guitar legends. Bettencourt’s decision to step back during “Shot in the Dark” demonstrated the kind of professional courtesy that has become increasingly rare in the music industry. This allowed a veteran guitarist to reclaim his moment in the spotlight during what many considered a farewell to an era of heavy metal history.
