Background and career
Zachary Phillip Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt; January 14, 1967) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and as the founder, lead guitarist, lead singer, songwriter and producer of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. Wylde's signature bulls-eye design appears on many of his guitars. He was also the lead guitarist and vocalist of Pride & Glory, who released one self-titled album in 1994 before disbanding. As a solo artist, he released the albums Book of Shadows and Book of Shadows II. Wylde joined the reunited Pantera in 2022 as a touring guitarist.
Zachary Phillip Wylde was born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt in Bayonne, New Jersey, on January 14, 1967. He is of Irish descent. He grew up in Jackson, New Jersey, where he attended Jackson Memorial High School, graduating in 1985. At the age of 14, he worked at Silverton Music in Silverton, New Jersey. He cited "Rocket Man" by Elton John as the song that made him passionate for music. He started playing guitar at the age of eight, but did not become serious about it until his early teenage years. He has stated that he often played the guitar almost non-stop between coming home from school and leaving for school the next morning, then would be completely exhausted during school the next day. His earliest influences as a guitarist were Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and later he expanded his tastes listening to Frank Marino, Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Pass, Alex Lifeson, Pat Martino, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía.
Wylde played locally with his first band Stone Henge, then later with local New Jersey band Zyris.
In 1987, Wylde auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne after listening to The Howard Stern Show and learning that Osbourne was looking for a new lead guitarist. Wylde was hired to replace Jake E. Lee, who was fired by Osbourne’s manager Sharon Osbourne. He subsequently toured with Osbourne and played on No Rest for the Wicked (1988), No More Tears (1991), and Ozzmosis (1995) as a co-writer. Wylde was replaced by ex-Lizzy Borden guitarist Joe Holmes in 1995 until Wylde's return in 2001. Although not credited for songwriting, Wylde recorded Down to Earth and appeared on the supporting tour. After auditioning different guitarists in 2004 and 2005, Ozzy Osbourne announced Zakk Wylde as the official guitarist for his album Black Rain, which was released in 2007 and also accompanied by a tour. Wylde rejoined Ozzy Osbourne's band once again for a select number of dates during Osbourne's 2017 summer tour, and then performed on the No More Tours II tour before the remaining shows were postponed and eventually canceled. On September 8, 2022, he again joined Osbourne onstage at the SoFi Stadium along with Andrew Watt to perform "Crazy Train" and the title track for Osbourne's album "Patient Number 9" at the NFL's season opening during half-time. The following day, Patient Number 9 was released featuring Wylde playing guitar on 4 tracks. On October 19, 2024, Wylde performed on stage at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during the 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Osbourne, playing Mama, I'm Coming Home and No More Tears.
Formed in 1991 during what was then billed as Ozzy Osbourne's farewell tour following the 1991 No More Tears album, Wylde recruited the former White Lion rhythm section of bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Greg D'Angelo, and originally wanted to name the Southern rock-inspired project 'Lynyrd Skynhead'. This lineup recorded two songs, an instrumental entitled "Farm Fiddlin" for a 1991 compilation album entitled The Guitars That Rule the World, and a cover of the blues-standard "Baby, Please Don't Go" for the 1992 L.A. Blues Authority Vol. 1 compilation. By early 1994, the band had changed their name to 'Pride & Glory', with D'Angelo departing and being replaced by Brian Tichy. That year, Pride & Glory released their only album via Geffen Records and performed as a main-stage act at the Donington Monsters of Rock Festival in England in June of that year. In November 1994, LoMenzo left after a tour of Japan, three days before Pride & Glory were scheduled to begin a US Tour. Scrambling, Wylde quickly managed to find a replacement in his long-time friend, John DeServio, who grew up with Wylde in New Jersey. Pride & Glory played their final show on December 10, 1994, in Los Angeles. On January 31, 1998, the lineup of Wylde, LoMenzo, and Tichy reunited for a one-off reunion show at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood.
Following the demise of Wylde's Pride & Glory band, he recorded Book of Shadows in 1996 as a solo album to fulfill his contract with record label Geffen Records. Wylde wrote the second installment of Book of Shadows in between stints on the road, which was released 20 years after the first album on April 16, 2016, with eOne.
