Zachary Phillip Wylde, born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt, is an American musician renowned as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and the founder of Black Label Society. Known for his signature bullseye-painted guitars and his work with Pride & Glory, Wylde's career has been marked by both musical success and personal health challenges.
Early Life and Career
Zakk Wylde began playing guitar at age eight, becoming serious in his early teens. His career took off in 1987 when he auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne, replacing Jake E. Lee. Besides his work with Osbourne, Wylde formed Pride & Glory in 1991 and later Black Label Society in 1998. He also joined the reunited band Pantera in 2022, filling in for the late Dimebag Darrell.
The "Animal House Years"
During his early years with Ozzy Osbourne, Wylde recalls what he calls the "Animal House years." The tour bus was like a "million-dollar Irish pub rolling down the road." After gigs, the band would stay up until six in the morning, listening to music, hanging out, and "solving the world’s problems." Wylde admitted to drinking about a case and a half of beer each day during this period.
Health Issues Emerge
Wylde's hard-living lifestyle eventually caught up with him. "I ended up getting blood clots. The doctor said I’d need a liver transplant within three years if I didn’t change and that my pancreas wasn’t far behind. What more did I need to be told?"
In the 2010s, Wylde faced a series of health crises, including throat surgery, a hernia, liver disease, pancreatitis, and blood clots. "Over the last two years, I had to have throat surgery for my vocals. And then I had an umbilical hernia from hitting the gym and lifting all the time. My belly button popped out, so I had to get surgery for that. I got fatty liver disease and pancreatitis. And now I got blood clots in my lungs. It’s like God’s going, 'Now for your next mission, if you wish to accept it…' I’m like, 'Hell no, I don’t accept.'"
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Blood Clots and a Brush with Death
One of the most serious incidents involved blood clots in his leg that traveled to his lungs. Wylde initially dismissed the pain, attributing it to the rigors of performing. "A couple dates in, my left calf started hurting. I just figured it was from jumping around onstage. Either my feet are killing me, or it’s my back or my shins."
He continued to perform, even as the pain worsened. "When I was onstage with all the adrenaline, I wasn’t feeling shit, but once I got offstage and the adrenaline wore off, I would sit down and I was like, 'Damn, my leg is killin’ me.'"
Eventually, the pain became unbearable. "After about a week, it got to the point where just getting up in the middle of the night to take a piss was a production. It was almost like someone’s grabbing and squeezing your balls while you’re trying to take a leak-there’s not gonna be any piss comin’ out of that thing, ’cause you’re just too preoccupied with pain."
An ultrasound revealed the severity of the situation. "You got a bunch of blood clots behind your left knee. It goes down into your calf. You got a couple there. And then it goes down into your Achilles tendon."
Wylde was prescribed Coumadin, a blood thinner, and had to give himself shots in the stomach every 12 hours. Despite the medication, he continued to drink, exacerbating the problem. "I was taking the blood thinner, and my leg was killing me because I didn’t have any painkillers, so I was still hitting the sauce. And since I was drinking beer while taking blood thinners, the alcohol was thinning my blood even more."
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The situation reached a critical point when a CT scan revealed that the blood clots had moved to his lungs. "Well, you’ve got three blood clots that have already moved up and gone through your heart. They’re in your lungs now." The doctor told him, "You should have died probably about a week and a half ago, or whenever these things went through your heart."
The Turning Point
This near-death experience served as a wake-up call for Wylde. He realized he needed to make significant changes to his lifestyle. "All my buddies go, 'Zakk, you’re 42. It was a good run. The fuckin’ bar’s closed for you, asshole.'"
Embracing Sobriety and a Healthier Lifestyle
Wylde made the decision to quit drinking. "Yeah, since this stuff happened, I’ve been fuckin’ chillin’… But for me, it’s just a question of willpower. It’s just like anything… I mean, trust me, I’d love to have a couple cold ones right now and sit around and practice or watch a football game. But, I mean, you gotta have willpower. So it’s just down to water and Gatorade."
He also underwent a procedure to prevent future clots from reaching his heart. "They also gave me something that’s called an “umbrella”: it goes into the main artery going up your leg [the inferior vena cava], and it’s almost like a strainer, so any new clot can only go so far."
Wylde had to take Coumadin for at least a year, and possibly for the rest of his life due to a rare clotting condition. "I’ve gotta take this Coumadin shit for at least a year, and he’s gonna see after that. I’ve got a rare clotting condition, and if it’s hereditary, I may have to take Coumadin for the rest of my life. But it’s no big deal. I already take vitamins every day. It’s just throwing one more thing into the mix."
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Diet and Exercise
In addition to quitting alcohol, Wylde changed his diet and exercise habits. "I started getting serious about my diet about two years ago. I cut out sugar, dairy, potatoes, and bread. I went from 225 pounds to 192 pounds in three months."
He increased his protein intake and maintained a rigorous workout routine. "I eat like a fuckin’ mule. I eat like 240 grams of protein a day between the protein shakes, eating chicken all day, rice and salad. I got a fuckin’ 33-inch waist, so, it’s not like I’m huge."
Wylde turned his garage into a home gym, which he calls the "Doom Crew Iron Den." He enjoys lifting weights and finds it therapeutic. "For me, lifting weights is therapeutic more than anything. I don’t like having a training partner screaming at me. I like being by myself. It’s me against the iron. That’s the way I’ve felt about it since I started lifting weights when I was 11 years old."
A Patty Melt "Black Label Style"
An interesting anecdote shared by a friend illustrates Wylde's character. After a night at Oz-fest, Wylde and his friend Tommy stopped at a Waffle House. To their surprise, Zakk Wylde was behind the counter, flipping burgers. Wylde, missing cooking for his kids, enjoyed the opportunity to work at the Waffle House.
When Wylde took their order, he prepared a patty melt for his friend "Black Label Style" - two slices of wheat bread, slathered with butter, and served with ketchup, mustard, and Heinz 57 sauce. He then instructed his friend to "eat it Black Label style, swirl it in all three sauces and chomp." This story highlights Wylde's down-to-earth personality and his unique sense of humor.
Reflections on Life and Attitude
Wylde's health problems have given him a new perspective on life. "I’ve always thought every day is a gift. And when bad shit happens, there’s two ways of looking at it: the glass is either half empty or half full. I always look at it like, Dude, there’s half a beer left there. Fuckin’ bring it on. The party ain’t over yet."
He remains philosophical about his experiences. "You know, Ozz used to always say to me, ‘Zakk, for every good thing that’s fuckin’ happened to me, five bad things have happened,’ ” says Wylde, shrugging off his setbacks as if they were as inconsequential as a couple of parking tickets. “You just gotta roll with the punches, man. That’s the only thing you can do at times. Anybody can get knocked down. It’s who can get back up-that’s the whole fuckin’ thing.”