Zakk Wylde
| Zakk Wylde | |
|---|---|
Wylde in August 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt |
| Born |
January 14, 1967 Bayonne, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Heavy metal, hard rock, sludge metal, groove metal, southern rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, actor, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, keyboards, harmonica, bass |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Geffen, Spitfire, InsideOut Music, Artemis, Roadrunner, Epic, Sony |
| Associated acts | Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne, Pride & Glory, Steel Dragon, Britny Fox, Zakk Sabbath (Black Sabbath tribute band) |
| Website | zakkwylde.com |
| Notable instruments | |
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Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul, Zakk Wylde Signature Gibson Flying V, Zakk Wylde Epiphone ZV, Signature GMW custom V |
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Zakk Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt on January 14, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. His signature bulls-eye design appears on many of his guitars and is widely recognized. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory, who released one self-titled album in 1994 before disbanding. As a solo artist he released Book of Shadows and Book of Shadows II.
Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on 14 January 1967. He started playing the guitar at the age of 8, but didn't become serious about it until his first year in high school. At the age of 14 he worked at Silverton Music in the Silverton section of Toms River, New Jersey. Wielandt grew up in Jackson, New Jersey, and went to Jackson Memorial High School, where he graduated in 1985. He has stated that he would practice playing the guitar as much as 12 hours per day and would often play the guitar almost non-stop between coming home from school and leaving for school the next morning, then sleeping through the school day.
Wylde played locally with his first band Stone Henge, then later with local Jersey band Zyris. Later, he landed the role as lead guitarist and co-writer for Ozzy Osbourne. He sent Osbourne a demo tape in 1987 and was hired to replace Jake E. Lee, who replaced Brad Gillis, who replaced the deceased Randy Rhoads. Rhoads remains Wylde's foremost guitar-playing and stagecraft influence.
Wylde gravitated toward a particular Les Paul guitar, which has become known as "The Grail"; his famous bullseye-painted Gibson Les Paul custom. Wylde lost the guitar in 2000 after it fell from the back of a truck transporting equipment as he was travelling between gigs in Texas. Rewards were offered to anyone that had information about the guitar. Wylde and The Grail were reunited three years later when a fan bought it at a Dallas pawn shop and saw the initials "Z.W." carved into the humbucker pickups backs. He contacted Wylde's former webmaster Randy Canis to arrange its return to Wylde. Grateful, Wylde gave the fan his signature model in exchange. In 1995, Wylde auditioned for Guns N' Roses.
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