Lee Kerslake, drummer for Uriah Heep’s most successful period and Ozzy Osbourne’s first solo albums, has died at age 73 from cancer.
Lee joined Uriah Heep for their fourth album ‘Demons and Wizards’. He stayed with the band for nine albums.
After leaving Uriah Heep Lee hooked up with Ozzy Osbourne to form Blizzard of Ozz. The band backed Ozzy for his debut solo album of the same name and second album ‘Diary of a Madman’.
Ozzy Osbourne said of Lee, “It’s been 39 years since I’ve seen Lee but he lives for ever on the records he played on for me, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Lee Kerslake RIP”.
It’s been 39 years since I’ve seen Lee but he lives for ever on the records he played on for me, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Lee Kerslake RIP pic.twitter.com/xWqVR0VJn6
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) September 19, 2020
Lee left Ozzy in 1981 to care for his sick mother. Bass player Bob Daisley also left/ Bob co-wrote the songs on the first two albums but ended up in a legal stash with the Osbourne’s over royalty payments.
In 2003 Lee Kerslake and Bob Daisley got together with Don Airley and Steve Morse of Deep Purple and added Australian legend Jimmy Barnes to form Living Loud. Their one album featured half new and original songs and half covers of those first two Osbourne.
In December 2018 Lee announced he was battling prostate cancer and at that point said he had eight months to live.
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