Megaforce Records founder, Jon Zazula a.k.a “Jonny Z”, passed away on February 1st, 2022 in Florida surrounded by his brother, daughters, grand-daughters and friends. He was 69 years old. His wife Marsha, co-founder of Megaforce Records has died of cancer in January of last year.
Zazula founded Megaforce Records in the early 1980s with his wife, Marsha, and helped jumpstart the career of the legendary METALLICA when he signed them. He’d been given a copy of the band’s demo “No Life ‘Til Leather“, by a customer at his record stand at a New Jersey flea market and contacted the band in hopes of working together.
METALLICA tweeted over Jon’s loss: “Heavy music lost one of its great champions today when Jonny Z left this world far too soon. 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.“
Rikki, Zazulas’ daughter, wrote on social media: ” 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 powerhouse 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. And it feels impossible to imagine a world without him in it. For all of us who knew and loved him … by the way… keep it heavy! RIP daddy you will truly be deeply missed, but, never forgotten…your LegaZ will live on forever, not only in us and your grandchildren, but, in every headbanger on this planet for all of eternity!”
His record label, Megaforce Records, is widely known for launching the career of METALLICA by releasing the band’s first two albums, 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All” and 1984’s “Ride The Lightning”. Throughout his career, Zazula worked also with many remarkable artists such as ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, Ace Frehley, MINISTRY, KING’S X, STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH, RAVEN and more.
He will be surely missed by many people in the music industry, family, friends and fans. Rest In Peace.
