Jon Zazula, Megaforce Records Co-Founder Who Discovered Metallica, Dies at 69

Jon Zazula (aka Jonny Z) , record store owner, Megaforce label Manager and inital start/helper for Bay Area Thrash bands and many more has died. He 69 years old

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As Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT) write today at FB : "A sad day: RIP to Jonny Z. OG Deadhead turned hard rock record store owner turned entrepreneur of a new brand of metal. Starting with a little known band called Metallica, later Anthrax, Overkill, Kings X and many more including of course, the reason our paths crossed, Testament. Whether as a label head or manager, he guided careers and had massive impact on the music biz. Without him many of our lives - listeners and artists alike - might look very different. "

He and his wife Marsha had an influential metal record store in New Jersey, supporting Metal scene and overcoming the Major record labels apathy to metal music the Zazulas took matters into their own hands, launching Megaforce Records in 1982. They released Kill ‘Em All on the imprint in July 1983. The story has just begun. They sold Megaforce in 2001 . Marsha died in January 2021 at the age of 68. The metal community will be eternal grateful to both of them for their care and support to the bands that defined the 80s metal scEne, METALLICA,ANTHRAX,OVERKILL to name but a few. R.I.P