Jon Zazula
{{Short description|American music industry executive (1952–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{About||the hip hop artist|Jonny Z|the General Hospital character|Johnny Zacchara}}
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'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.{{cite web|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2022/02/01/jon-jonny-z-zazula-megaforce-records-co-founder-who-discovered-metallica-dead-at-69/|title=Jon "Jonny Z" Zazula, Megaforce Records Co-Founder Who Discovered Metallica, Dead at 69|publisher=MetalSucks|access-date=March 7, 2022|date=February 1, 2022}}
Career
His central role in the East Coast metal scene would later be an essential factor in launching the career of Metallica. 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.{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://www.jonzazula.com/biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015192416/https://www.jonzazula.com/biography |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 15, 2019 |access-date=15 October 2019 |website=Jonzazula.com}}
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.{{Cite book|last=Ian|first=Scott|title=I'm The Man|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2014|isbn=978-0-306-82334-3|location=Boston, MA|pages=47–50}}
In 2019, Zazula released an auto-biography titled Heavy Tales.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jonzazula.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015192454/https://www.jonzazula.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 15, 2019|title=HEAVY TALES|website=HEAVY TALES|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-10}}
Personal life and death
Zazula was born on March 16, 1952, and was Jewish.{{Cite web|title=Open ForumCensorship in the Music Industry Has Gotten Out of Hand|url=https://njbiz.com/open-forumcensorship-in-the-music-industry-has-gotten-out-of-hand/|last=Perry|first=Jessica|date=2005-08-09|website=NJBIZ|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-27}}{{Cite web|title=Rare: Hear the First-Ever Recorded Rap-Metal Song 'Metal Rap'|url=https://www.hd-radio.net/rock/rare-hear-the-first-ever-recorded-rap-metal-song-metal-rap/|date=2020-06-16|website=HD-Radio Network|language=en-US|access-date=2020-07-05|archive-date=July 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705231106/https://www.hd-radio.net/rock/rare-hear-the-first-ever-recorded-rap-metal-song-metal-rap/|url-status=dead}} His second wife, Marsha Zazula ({{nee}} 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.{{Cite news|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|date=2021-01-16|title=Marsha Zazula, 'Metal Matriarch' of Metallica and Others, Dies at 68|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/arts/music/marsha-zazula-dead.html|access-date=2022-02-05|issn=0362-4331}} 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, COPD, and osteopenia.{{Cite news|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|date=2022-02-04|title=Jon Zazula, Early Promoter of Heavy Metal, Dies at 69|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/arts/jon-zazula-dead.html|access-date=2022-02-05|issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/jon-zazula-co-founder-of-legendary-metal-label-megaforce-records-dies-at-69/|title=JON ZAZULA, Co-Founder of Legendary Metal Label MEGAFORCE RECORDS, Dies At 69|publisher=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=February 1, 2022|date=February 1, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
=Sources=
- The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' {{ISBN|0-85112-939-0}}
- Heavy Tales {{ISBN|978-1733056755}}
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Metallica {{ISBN|0-7119-4902-6}}
External links
- [http://www.megaforcerecords.com Megaforce Records website]
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20191015192454/https://www.jonzazula.com/ Jon Zazula's Web Site]}}
- {{discogs artist|Jon Zazula}}
- {{imdb name|2206856}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zazula, Jon}}
Category:Place of birth missing
Category:20th-century American Jews
Category:21st-century American Jews