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Zazula died at her home in Florida after a battle with cancer, Variety reports.
Zazula and her husband Jon (aka Jonny Z) humbly began their careers in the music business selling imported vinyl and picture records at a New Jersey flea market. In 1982, the couple founded Megaforce, which has become the imprint of a handful of now iconic heavy metal acts, including Metallica, Anthrax, Testament and Overkill.
“The music world owes a debt of gratitude to Marsha Zazula, who, along with her husband Jon, has given birth to some of the most important musically-minded artists,” Megaforce wrote in a statement on Twitter. “Marsha was one of a kind and taught the world to be fiercely independent. In our hearts, she will always be a guiding force.”
Megaforce is credited with releasing Metallica’s first two albums, 1983 Kill them all and 1984’s Ride the lightning. The superstar rock band paid tribute to Zazula on Instagram after her death.
“Rest in peace, Marsha. Thank you for everything,” Metallica captioned a photo with Zazula. “Love @thejonzazula and the Zazula family.”
Anthrax also remembered Zazula in an emotional tribute on Instagram. “It is with great sadness that we learn of the passing of Marsha Zazula. A true pioneer with Jonny Z. These two have changed all of our lives,” the group wrote. “Hard to put the world into words that it could be without their belief and dedication to metal and all of us. Our love for his family.”
In 1995, Megaforce established a full-service sister company, MRI, which helped create a business model giving artists more control over how they were managed and their music distributed. The Zazulas left Megaforce in 2001, selling their stake in the label to its former radio manager, Missi Callazzo. In 2009, MRI acquired the renowned blues / jazz label Palmetto Records. In recent years, the company has distributed versions of Björk, The Black Crowes, Living Color, and Third Eye Blind.
Megaforce’s magical rise is detailed in Jon Zazula’s 2019 autobiography, Heavy tales: metal. The music. Madness. In an interview that year with Billboard, he had a playful discussion about running a business alongside his life partner.
“Well, Marsha and I have had dozens of adventures in combat,” he says. “After about 27 years of marriage, we realized that there was only one way to stop fighting, it’s very simple: tell your wife she’s right. We’ve been married for 40 years now.
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