Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee has set the record straight regarding recent speculation that he was in talks to rejoin Ratt and replace longtime guitarist Warren DeMartini. Speaking during a recent appearance on *Talking Metal*, Lee dismissed the idea entirely, clarifying that the rumors had no basis in reality and expressing disappointment in what he sees as the current state of the band.
Lee, who was briefly part of Ratt between 1980 and 1981 before moving on to greater fame with Ozzy Osbourne, said bluntly:
> “No, that never came up. That was never gonna happen. That all came from [Ratt drummer] Bobby Blotzer, from a specific interview.”
According to Lee, the rumors stemmed not from the band itself, but from Blotzer, who in recent years has toured with a controversial lineup under the Ratt name. “Nobody really cares what Bob has to say,” Lee continued. “Oh, here I am, badmouthing another musician again… But nobody does. He went out with a version of Ratt that was not Ratt. And through people in the industry I know, he was paid a lot of money and club owners were very unhappy with him because they thought they were hiring Ratt to play, and then it would just be a band Bobby Blotzer put together doing cover songs, really.”
Lee suggested that Blotzer fabricated the story about him rejoining Ratt simply to generate attention. “I think Bobby just made that up so that it would be a talking point, so it would be a headline – and it did; it became that.”
While Lee was careful to clarify that he gets along with Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy “alright,” he also admitted that Pearcy was the reason he originally quit the band in the early ’80s. “I was in Ratt before, and the reason I quit was Stephen,” Lee revealed. “But I get along with him fine now—mainly because I’m not in a band with him.”
As for Warren DeMartini, Lee made it clear that their long-standing friendship would prevent him from ever considering taking DeMartini’s spot. “He knows that I wouldn’t rejoin Ratt, and he knows that Warren and I have been best friends forever, and I would never take his place in the band. And nobody should, really. It’s not Ratt without Warren.”
Lee’s comments reflect a broader disappointment with the band’s current situation. “It’s sad… It’s sad what Ratt is today,” he concluded, lamenting how far the group has fallen from its 1980s heyday.
Ratt, once one of the most successful hard rock acts of the glam metal era, has endured decades of turmoil, marked by lineup changes, lawsuits, and feuds among former members. Blotzer’s touring version of the group in the mid-2010s created a rift among fans and drew criticism from industry insiders. Despite various attempts at reunions, the band has struggled to recapture its past glory.
For Jake E. Lee, whose career has taken him from Ratt’s early club days to the heights of Ozzy Osbourne’s band and later his own projects like Badlands and Red Dragon Cartel, the prospect of returning to the chaos of Ratt holds no appeal. His loyalty to DeMartini and his disappointment in the band’s decline seem to close the door permanently on any such reunion.
While Ratt’s legacy remains firmly intact through their 1980s hits like *Round and Round* and *Lay It Down*, Lee’s remarks serve as a sobering reminder of how internal conflicts and fractured relationships can tarnish a band’s history.
For fans holding out hope that Jake E. Lee might one day ride again with Ratt, his words leave little doubt: that chapter is closed.
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