Most of us know New Jersey native Zakk Wylde as Ozzy Osbourne’s former axeman, then as the force of nature behind badass heavy metallers Black Label Society, but his impressive and deceptively broad catalogue is one that demands proper examination.
Born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt in January 1967, Wylde’s music career skyrocketed following a successful audition to replace lead guitarist Jake E Lee in Ozzy’s band. The story goes that a friend of a friend of Wylde, who at the time was playing on the local circuit with a Bon Jovi-aping band called Zyris, managed to deliver his demo tape to Ozzy’s people. When Sharon Osbourne called to arrange a meeting, Wylde assumed it was one of his buddies taking the piss.
