Rockers React to Jon ‘Jonny Z’ Zazula’s Death
The death of Megaforce Records founder Jon “Jonny Z” Zazula is reverberating throughout the world of rock and metal.
Zazula, along with his wife Marsha, laid the foundations for some of modern metal’s greatest bands, including giving a boost to then-Bay Area upstart Metallica.
After receiving a demo of No life to the leather, Zazula contacted the group to work together. “When I put it on, it was like lightning. It was like I was hit by, I don’t know what, like a beam. And I listened to all of that, it was like I was losing my mind,” Zazula told us in October of 2019. “That’s America’s answer – I just said to Motorhead and the new wave of British heavy metal – that would be the start of the own American scene in that vein. I basically said to Marsha, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to do something with this band. I have to be part of the legacy. I knew that ‘there would be a legacy.
“I’m so glad we had the times we had and the last words we said to each other were ‘I LOVE YOU,'” Anthrax’s Charlie Benante said in his tribute.
Dirk Verbeuren of Megadeth said: “Jonny was a kind-hearted man who cared deeply about his artists, his friends, his family and his pets. We were very lucky to get that first-hand experience when he co-managed Soilwork for a while in 2015-2016.
“So sorry to hear that Jonny Zazula passed away. He literally changed the world as we know it. Thank you Jonny and Marsha,” added Jeremy Wagner of Broken Hope.
More stories from Zazula’s historic career can be found in her memoirs, Heavy Tales: The Metal. The music. madness.
As you’d expect, Zazula’s influence was huge in the metalworking industry, and the loss affected many. Check out some of Jonny Z’s social media tributes below, and we’ll continue to update as more tributes are posted.
Megaforce Folders
Venom Inc
Exodus
Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
Chad Ginsburg (CKY)
Steve “Lips” Kudlow (Anvil)
Jeremy Wagner (Shattered Hope)
Brian Slagel (Metal Blade)
Mount Pittman
Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth)
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Mark Menghi (metal allegiance)
Anthrax
Joey Belladonna (Anthrax)
Alex Skolnick (Will)
Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves)
Chris Jericho (Fozzy)
Eddie Trunk
Jay Ruston (Producer)
Matt Pinfield
Rockers we lost in 2021
RIP to rockers who died in 2021.