APRIL 16TH 1947-SEPTEMBER 19TH 2020
APRIL 11TH 2018
ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
BBS RADIO 1
L E E
K E R S L A K E
DRUMMER/SINGER/SONGWRITER
U R I A H H E E P
OZZY OSBOURNE
(Blizzard of Ozz)
Lee Kerslake is an
English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and backing vocalist for
the rock band Uriah Heep, in addition to his work in the Ozzy Osbourne band
Kerslake joined Uriah
Heep in November 1971, left the band in October 1979, and rejoined them in
April 1982. In early 2007 it was announced on the Heep website that Kerslake
left the band ‘due to ongoing health problems’.
With Heep, Kerslake
also performed backing vocals both on album and on stage. On the Firefly album
he was credited with the nickname “The Bear”, a reference to his beard growth
and overall solid physical build.
During his time out of
Uriah Heep, he worked with Ozzy Osbourne, with whom he recorded Blizzard of Ozz
and Diary of a Madman, and played with bass guitarist Bob Daisley, who later
joined Uriah Heep. On the Diary of a Madman notes, Kerslake and Daisley weren’t
credited.
The two musicians were fired in late March 1981,
just after the recording session, and replaced for the tour by Tommy Aldridge
and Rudy Sarzo. Aldridge’s and Sarzo’s photos were put on the album and they
were credited as studio musicians, but they didn’t play on the album.
In 1998, Kerslake and
Daisley filed suit against Ozzy Osbourne and his manager (and wife) Sharon
Osbourne, seeking royalties and songwriting credits for their contributions to
the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman albums. Osbourne subsequently erased
Kerslake and Daisley’s playing on both albums, replacing their performances
with tracks by bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin.
In 2003, Kerslake and
Daisley’s lawsuit was dismissed by the United States District Court in Los
Angeles. This dismissal was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for
the Ninth Circuit. Lee now performs with his own band “The Lee Kerslake Band”,
guests with various bands and regularly joins ex-Heep members Ken Hensley and
Paul Newton in “Uriah Heep Legends”
For
more information about Lee Kerslake visit …
5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern on BBS RADIO
