Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt aka Zakk Wylde
Birthplace: Bayonne, New Jersey
Birthdate: January 14th, 1967
Band: Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera
Instrument: Guitar, Singer
Age in 2025: 58
Lead vocalist and guitarist, and New Jersey Native, Zakk Wylde is one of the biggest, most well-known guitarists in metal today. Born in Bayonne in 1967, he is best known as the founding vocalist and lead guitarist of Black Label Society, but got his start as the lead guitarist of Ozzy Osbourne’s solo project in 1987. Since his start with Ozzy, he has come and gone a few times but is currently considered a member of Ozzy’s band as of 2017.
As a part of Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde took his fame to new heights, using his time with Ozzy as a major influence while bringing in a more groove metal and southern rock style from his short-lived Pride & Glory project. Black Label Society has released 11 studio albums including their debut Sonic Brew (1999), Mafia (2005), Catacombs of the Black Vatican (2014), and most recently Doom Crew Inc. (2021). The band has taken on a biker club-esc persona, including appearing in vests and leather jackets, having their logo in a format that mimics that of other MCs, and even addressing each state and country they perform as “chapters” of the Black Label Society.
Despite being regarded as one of the best guitarists around and having immense success between Ozzy’s band and Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde seems to be a fan of, for lack of a better phrase, “side quests” in his career. Most notably, Zakk has embarked on a number of tours using the Zakk Sabbath moniker. As Zakk Sabbath, Zakk and band pay homage to the legendary Black Sabbath with an electrifying tribute set of Sabbath songs with Zakk’s own flair sprinkled into each song. In 2022, he stepped in to fill the massive shoes of Dimebag Darrel for the return of Pantera and has been touring with them since. He is also a member of the 5-guitarist supergroup Generation Axe.
In other forms of media, Zakk Wylde had the honor of being made into a playable character in Guitar Hero World Tour in 2008. He also has appeared as a guest in various TV shows and movies, including himself on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a member of the fictional band Steel Dragon in Rock Star (2001), and as Bones’ uncle Jen in the film Bones (2010). He was also at the center of a charity roast, the ‘Rock & Roll Roast of Zakk Wylde’ which featured a rockstar-studded roster of roasters in the likes of Scott Ian, Corey Taylor, Kerry King, Richie Faulkner and more.
