Photo: Getty Images North America
One of heavy metal's most important behind-the-scenes figures, Jon Zazula, has died at age 69.
Jon and his wife Marsha Zazula (who passed last January) co-founded Megaforce Records in 1982 by selling records from an outpost at a flea market in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
One of the couple's earliest signings was an underground heavy metal act from California called Metallica.
Megaforce released Metallica's groundbreaking first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning, among many other significant heavy rock and metal LPs from the likes of Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, King's X and many others.
The Zazulas' daughter, Rikki, confirmed her father's passing late-Tuesday evening:
"The world lost a true legend today... Our Dad lived a life as fast, hard, heavy, powerful, and, impactful as the music he brought to the world. His passion and persistence fueled the careers of arguably the most influential metal bands, and, industry greats of a generation. To us he was simply daddy... Our father and mother were a powerful partnership in love, life, and business. Together they believed in the unbelievable, their passion, rebel perspective, and persistence built an empire from a box of vinyl in a flea market — into a multi-platinum-selling record label, management company and publishing house. Although we are devastated he is gone, they are finally reunited."
Metallica was quick to pay its respects, honoring the Zazulas with a series of posts shared to social media, articulating the impact they had on the band's career and on music as a whole.
"Heavy music lost one of its great champions today when Jonny Z left this world far too soon," Metallica wrote in an initial statement issued early-Wednesday morning. "In 1982, when no one wanted to take a chance on four kids from California playing a crazy brand of metal, Jonny and Marsha did, and the rest, as they say, is history. He was a mentor, a manager, a label head and a father figure to us all . . . Metallica would not be who we are or where we are today without Jon Zazula and his wife, Marsha."
The band continued, offering sympathies to the Zazula children, noting that Jon and Marsha began bringing their kids to rock shows when they were still wearing diapers.
Lars Ulrich offered his own personal tribute via his and Metallica's social channels, writing to Jon: "I will forever be grateful for your friendship, advice and blind belief that the music we played could be shared with way more people who were just like us…outsiders and misfits!"
A third post authored by James Hetfield depicts the frontman posing between longtime publicist Maria Ferrero and Jon and Marsha Zazula.
"God rest your soul Jonny," Hetfield added for the caption. "My heart is full of gratitude for [you] taking a chance on me and my bandmates."
Anthrax, too, honored the Zazulas. The band shared a photo of the young label cofounders posing backstage at a festival.
"If it weren’t for Jonny, there might not have been an Anthrax," the caption read. "His commitment, his guidance, his passion, and his friendship were integral in the success of the band, and he was a lifelong, much loved friend."