Zakk Wylde

Lore & Background

Wylde's journey into the spotlight began in Jackson, New Jersey, where he attended Jackson Memorial High School. At age 14, he worked at Silverton Music, citing Elton John's 'Rocket Man' as the spark that ignited his passion for music. Although he started guitar at eight, he didn't take it seriously until his early teens, often playing non-stop from school return until the next morning, leaving him exhausted for class. His earliest influences included Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix, later expanding to Frank Marino, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, and jazz fusion giants like John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía. In 1987, after being recommended by a friend or connection, Wylde auditioned and replaced Jake E. Lee. He toured with Osbourne and co-wrote on No Rest for the Wicked (1988), No More Tears (1991), and Ozzmosis (1995). Between Ozzy tenures, he formed Pride & Glory in 1991, recruiting bassist James LoMenzo (who had briefly toured with White Lion in 1991) and drummer Greg D'Angelo (a former White Lion member from 1984 to 1991). The band released one self-titled album in 1994 before disbanding that December after a final show in Los Angeles.

Reader's Guide

Wylde's equipment history is marked by his iconic 'bullseye' Les Pauls. He gravitated toward a 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom painted with a bulls-eye design, originally intended to resemble the spiral from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo but mis-painted at a shop—a mistake he loved. Known as 'The Grail,' this creamy white Les Paul Custom with EMG pickups was lost in 2000 when it fell from a transport truck in Texas. Three years later, a fan who bought it at a Dallas pawn shop noticed the initials 'Z.W.' carved into the humbucker pickup backs and contacted Wylde's former webmaster, reuniting him with the instrument. In his solo career, he released Book of Shadows in 1996 to fulfill a Geffen contract, followed by Book of Shadows II on April 16, 2016, via eOne. He founded Black Label Society in 1998 with drummer Phil Ondich, recording Sonic Brew with Wylde handling lead guitar, rhythm, and bass. Nick Catanese joined after touring for Book of Shadows but was replaced by Dario Lorina in 2013. Bassist John DeServio, who once filled in for Pride & Glory, became a permanent BLS member in 2005. To date, Wylde has released 11 studio albums, 3 live albums, and 6 compilation albums with the band.

Did You Know?

• Wylde was born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt in Bayonne, New Jersey, before adopting his stage name.
• He worked at Silverton Music in New Jersey at age 14, where he cited Elton John's 'Rocket Man' as the song that made him passionate about music.
• His iconic 'Grail' guitar was stolen from a truck in 2000 but was reunited with him three years later following a tip or police involvement.
• In 2014, Wylde formed Zakk Sabbath, a Black Sabbath cover band, which released the album Vertigo in 2020 and Doomed Forever Forever Doomed in 2024.
• Wylde is a Catholic who describes himself as a 'Soldier of Christ' and dedicated his song 'In This River' to his friend Dimebag Darrell after Darrell's murder in 2004.