Jonathan Zazula (March 16, 1952 – February 1, 2022), also known as Jonny Z, was an American music industry executive who was the owner of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
's Rock'n Roll Heaven record store and founder of record label
Megaforce Records. Zazula's record store in
East Brunswick, New Jersey made him a central figure of the East Coast metal scene, regularly playing demo tapes sent to him through his underground tape-trading network which included the likes of
Brian Slagel of
Metal Blade Records, Ron Quintana (the editor of ''Metal Mania'' magazine), and producer
Mark Whitaker. He was also a mentor to radio personality
Eddie Trunk.
Career
His central role in the East Coast metal scene would later be an essential factor in launching the career of
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
. Zazula offered the band their first opportunity to play in the New York area and organized their first tours with
Raven, one of the leading metal bands from the UK at that time. After hearing the demo tape ''
No Life 'Til Leather'', he founded the label
Megaforce Records with $180 and also Manowar signing to them, to release their work. Zazula released Metallica's debut album ''
Kill 'Em All'' and set up an East Coast tour with private funding.
After the success of ''Kill 'Em All'', Zazula signed and worked with other artists, including
Disco Biscuits,
Warren Haynes,
Testament,
Tad,
Overkill,
Frehley's Comet,
King's X,
Fozzy,
Ministry,
and
Anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
.
In 2019, Zazula released an auto-biography titled ''Heavy Tales''.
Personal life and death
Zazula was born on March 16, 1952, and was Jewish. His second wife, Marsha Zazula ( Marsha Jean Rutenberg; 1952–2021), was his partner and co-founder at Megaforce Records. They were married from 1979 until Marsha's death on January 10, 2021. Zazula had three daughters, including one with his first wife and two with his second wife (Marsha).
He died at his home in
Clermont on February 1, 2022, at the age of 69, from complications of
chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an acquired autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms. The disorder is sometimes calle ...
,
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD defines COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory s ...
, and
osteopenia
Osteopenia, known as "low bone mass" or "low bone density", is a condition in which bone mineral density is low. Because their bones are weaker, people with osteopenia may have a higher risk of fractures, and some people may go on to develop o ...
.
References
Sources
*The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music''
*''Heavy Tales''
*''The Complete Guide to the Music of Metallica''
External links
Megaforce Records website*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zazula, Jon
1952 births
2022 deaths
Place of birth missing
20th-century American Jews
21st-century American Jews
American music industry executives
People from East Brunswick, New Jersey