Recent from talks
Lee Kerslake
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Lee Kerslake
Lee Gary Kerslake (16 April 1947 – 19 September 2020) was an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Uriah Heep and for his work with Ozzy Osbourne in the early 1980s.
Kerslake was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset). At age 11, he began playing drums and got his first professional gig with The Gods in 1969, going on to record three albums with the band. He later played with Toe Fat and National Head Band before linking up with Uriah Heep in November 1971.
Kerslake first appeared with Uriah Heep on their 1972 album Demons and Wizards and went on to record nine studio records, as well as a live album, with the band before departing in 1978 after the Fallen Angels tour. He also played on David Byron's and Ken Hensley's solo albums, among other efforts during this period. On the Firefly album he was credited as Lee "The Bear" Kerslake, the nickname being a reference to his beard growth and overall solid physical build.
After achieving commercial success with Ozzy Osbourne in the early 1980s, Kerslake rejoined Uriah Heep in time for their 1982 Abominog album, regarded as a comeback album for the band by many critics. He would remain with the band until January 2007, appearing on an additional six studio albums, bringing his total contribution to Uriah Heep's output to 17 studio albums, along with several live albums.
In 1980, Kerslake met ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne by chance in a lift at the Kings Cross Hotel in Australia. "He was in one corner with his bodyguard and his manager, and I was in the other corner with mine. Rather funny". They would soon form a band and release the album Blizzard of Ozz with bassist Bob Daisley and guitarist Randy Rhoads, though the band would soon become an Ozzy Osbourne solo project due to a management decision. Kerslake's work can be heard on Osbourne's first two solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, as well as the 1980 Live EP and parts of the 1987 Tribute live album.
Kerslake left Osbourne's band in early 1981 to care for his mother, who had fallen ill. On the Diary of a Madman notes, Kerslake and bassist Bob Daisley were not credited, with drummer Tommy Aldridge and bassist Rudy Sarzo instead receiving credit. Aldridge has stated of the Diary of a Madman album, "I think it's pretty obvious that it's not my drumming on that album. I have never taken credit for that recording and have always given Lee Kerslake, whenever asked or interviewed, the credit he rightly deserves."
In 1998, Kerslake and Daisley filed a joint lawsuit against Osbourne and his wife/manager Sharon, seeking royalties and songwriting credits for their contributions to the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman albums. The Osbourne camp responded by removing Kerslake and Daisley's performances from the 2002 reissues of both albums and having them re-recorded by bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin. Due to fan objection, the original bass and drum tracks were restored when the albums were again reissued in 2011.
Kerslake was unsure why the Osbourne camp had treated him so negatively: "The only thing I could ever recall was once Ozzy had asked me to speak to her (Sharon) on his behalf regarding the two shows in New York in one night as Ozzy said 'I can't do two shows in one night — not with my voice!' He told me to tell her. I did as he said. I would have died for Ozzy as we were a band and I loved him as such. Because I broke the news to her, she's hated my guts", he recalled in 2011. Entertainment attorney Steven Machat, who was involved in the deal Osbourne signed with Jet Records, said in his 2011 book Gods, Gangsters and Honour: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey that Sharon was not happy with the level of creative input that Daisley and Kerslake had in the band and wanted Ozzy to have full control. He surmises this led to the split and any ill-will she has since harboured for the drummer. Album producer Max Norman, who produced both albums, concurs that Daisley and Kerslake made considerable songwriting contributions during their time in the band, while also noting that the Osbourne camp "might want to dispute that now."
Hub AI
Lee Kerslake AI simulator
(@Lee Kerslake_simulator)
Lee Kerslake
Lee Gary Kerslake (16 April 1947 – 19 September 2020) was an English musician, best known as the longtime drummer and backing vocalist for the rock band Uriah Heep and for his work with Ozzy Osbourne in the early 1980s.
Kerslake was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset). At age 11, he began playing drums and got his first professional gig with The Gods in 1969, going on to record three albums with the band. He later played with Toe Fat and National Head Band before linking up with Uriah Heep in November 1971.
Kerslake first appeared with Uriah Heep on their 1972 album Demons and Wizards and went on to record nine studio records, as well as a live album, with the band before departing in 1978 after the Fallen Angels tour. He also played on David Byron's and Ken Hensley's solo albums, among other efforts during this period. On the Firefly album he was credited as Lee "The Bear" Kerslake, the nickname being a reference to his beard growth and overall solid physical build.
After achieving commercial success with Ozzy Osbourne in the early 1980s, Kerslake rejoined Uriah Heep in time for their 1982 Abominog album, regarded as a comeback album for the band by many critics. He would remain with the band until January 2007, appearing on an additional six studio albums, bringing his total contribution to Uriah Heep's output to 17 studio albums, along with several live albums.
In 1980, Kerslake met ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne by chance in a lift at the Kings Cross Hotel in Australia. "He was in one corner with his bodyguard and his manager, and I was in the other corner with mine. Rather funny". They would soon form a band and release the album Blizzard of Ozz with bassist Bob Daisley and guitarist Randy Rhoads, though the band would soon become an Ozzy Osbourne solo project due to a management decision. Kerslake's work can be heard on Osbourne's first two solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, as well as the 1980 Live EP and parts of the 1987 Tribute live album.
Kerslake left Osbourne's band in early 1981 to care for his mother, who had fallen ill. On the Diary of a Madman notes, Kerslake and bassist Bob Daisley were not credited, with drummer Tommy Aldridge and bassist Rudy Sarzo instead receiving credit. Aldridge has stated of the Diary of a Madman album, "I think it's pretty obvious that it's not my drumming on that album. I have never taken credit for that recording and have always given Lee Kerslake, whenever asked or interviewed, the credit he rightly deserves."
In 1998, Kerslake and Daisley filed a joint lawsuit against Osbourne and his wife/manager Sharon, seeking royalties and songwriting credits for their contributions to the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman albums. The Osbourne camp responded by removing Kerslake and Daisley's performances from the 2002 reissues of both albums and having them re-recorded by bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin. Due to fan objection, the original bass and drum tracks were restored when the albums were again reissued in 2011.
Kerslake was unsure why the Osbourne camp had treated him so negatively: "The only thing I could ever recall was once Ozzy had asked me to speak to her (Sharon) on his behalf regarding the two shows in New York in one night as Ozzy said 'I can't do two shows in one night — not with my voice!' He told me to tell her. I did as he said. I would have died for Ozzy as we were a band and I loved him as such. Because I broke the news to her, she's hated my guts", he recalled in 2011. Entertainment attorney Steven Machat, who was involved in the deal Osbourne signed with Jet Records, said in his 2011 book Gods, Gangsters and Honour: A Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey that Sharon was not happy with the level of creative input that Daisley and Kerslake had in the band and wanted Ozzy to have full control. He surmises this led to the split and any ill-will she has since harboured for the drummer. Album producer Max Norman, who produced both albums, concurs that Daisley and Kerslake made considerable songwriting contributions during their time in the band, while also noting that the Osbourne camp "might want to dispute that now."
Recent media