Zakk Wylde was born in Bayonne, NJ, on January 14, 1967, and would later become one of the most iconic guitarists of our time. The climb to this title was no easy task. Jeffrey Phillipe Wielandt, who would later on take the name Zakk Wylde, was obsessed with music at a very young age. When he was just eight years old, he was given a guitar, but at this young and wild age he was not able to get serious about playing it until he was 14, and things did in fact get serious.
Jeffrey would practice the guitar almost until dawn every day. He developed an intense non-stop dedication to this five-string instrument. He was influenced by bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. These bands had some of his early heroes, like Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. Jeffrey would play in some local bands until he got his big break. Ozzy Osbourne, the former singer for Black Sabbath, invited Jeffrey to replace his guitarist for his solo career. At the age of 19, Jeffrey changed his name to Zakk Wylde and took on this role. Wylde would end up doing 5 official studio albums with Ozzy Osbourne, who was a father figure to many, including him. This would mark a point in Zakk Wylde’s career where he would leave Ozzy’s band and start his own band called Black Label Society.
Wylde’s band took off with the boost and support of Ozzy Osbourne. Zakk became a staple in the rock world. So when Dimebag Darrel, revolutionary musician and guitarist for Pantera, was murdered on stage during a concert, Wylde took the torch of his fallen hero and took his place during the future tours. Wylde would also start a new independent project called Zakk Sabbath, a tribute to all the rock and metal pioneers of the time. His music career would keep climbing until 2025, where Ozzy Osbourne announced his final performance called Back to the Beginning, where Zakk would go play along with the rest of the rock and metal world wishing Ozzy a farewell. Days later, Ozzy Osbourne would pass away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones.
Zakk Wylde took his torch as well, now carrying the legacies of two rock gods. He continues to play all around the world, influencing many young musicians to never give up.
