#203 Dave Mustaine - Megadeth Co-Founder & Frontman

Dave Mustaine's early years were riddled with instability and hardship due to family issues and subsequent personal challenges.

Mustaine's Difficult Upbringing: Divorced Parents and Abuse

Divorced Parents Led To Unstable Childhood Moving Between Relatives

Mustaine's parents got divorced when he was four, an event bookended by his baptism as a Lutheran. His father, once a West Coast branch manager for Bank of America, spiraled down into alcoholism, working on cash registers in a bar and suffering a mass cerebral hemorrhage which left him in a coma. Mustaine's early life was marked by constant moving, shuffling between relatives' homes with his mother and younger sister, Debbie. His older siblings, one a brother somewhat close in age, were already married and had more stability. Mustaine recollects a time when his parents might have tried to reconcile, and he fondly remembers the cherry vanilla pipe scent of his father's kiss goodnight.

Mustaine's Brothers-in-law Disciplined Him With Belts and Objects due to His Mother's Beliefs

As Mustaine grew older, he received harsh discipline orchestrated by his mother. His brothers-in-law, empowered to act as surrogate fathers and in law enforcement themselves, would discipline him harshly. Mustaine compared this to the practices of the church they attended, which could involve public shaming or singling out individuals for rebuke. His brother-in-law, Stan, used a leather belt, and sometimes a gun belt, which was wide and thick, to inflict pain during punishments.

Despite being the uncle to his sisters' children, Dave engaged in childhood mischief alongside his nephews. As the oldest, he would be held accountable and punished for any of the group's troublemaking, which ranged from shoplifting and vandalism. This harsh treatment was a staple of Mustaine's upbringing.

Mustaine Sold Marijuana As a Teen to Support Himself After His Mother Left

By age 15, Mustaine faced another pivotal ...

Dave Mustaine, the frontman of Megadeth, shares his expansive journey in the music industry, starting from his early musical influences, his time with various bands, including Metallica and Panic, to the formation of his own band, Megadeth.

Musical Interests and Influences Shaped Mustaine As a Metal Pioneer

Mustaine began his foray into music, drawn to bands outside of the typical American music scene. He specifically mentions an early introduction to Deep Purple, indicating more respect for its players than an actual fondness for the music itself. Mustaine differentiated between the predictable pattern of chords in American music and the complex structures found in the music he admired.

He learned to play guitar through songs like "Panicking Detroit" by David Bowie and "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople. Mustaine was amazed by bands like Led Zeppelin, which he found challenging, and was subsequently influenced by the visual and mystical elements of bands such as Ted Nugent and Kiss. In addition, Mustaine acknowledged Ted Nugent's guitar skills as an influence, despite Nugent's polarizing persona. He was also deeply affected by the "new wave of British Heavy Metal," listing bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Diamond Head, and Motorhead as crucial to his development as a musician and songwriter.

Furthermore, Mustaine delved into a wider array of musical genres, drawing inspiration from The Beatles and the Motown sound, including artists such as Sam and Dave, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and Chaka Khan. His appreciation for the new wave of British heavy metal world was reinforced through bands like Motörhead and Budgie, with Budgie being emphasized as a non-conventional three-piece band from Wales.

His knowledge of Budgie and the new wave of British heavy metal, combined with his guitar skills, played a pivotal role when responding to a classified ad that led him to join Metallica.

Mustaine's Departure From Metallica and Megadeth's Founding Marked a Career Turning Point

Mustaine was introduced as a co-founder of Metallica and was instrumental in the creation of thrash metal prior to his departure from the band in 1983. After being dismissed from Metallica—without warning or a second chance—due to his violent tendencies and an incident involving alcohol where he lashed out after his dog was kicked by James Hetfield, Mustaine was angered, notably about not being credited for the music he wrote, and this became a driving force to start Megadeth.

While in Hollywood, where Metallica opposed everything associated with glam culture, Mustaine had the initial idea for a band named Fallen Angels that never came to fruition. Instead, he began playing with Robbie McKinney, which led to the formation of a band that eventually evolved into Megadeth. Mustaine recounts that the band began as a "metal jazz ...

Dave Mustaine reflects on the stability his family life has provided him, his Christian faith journey, and the influence of his beliefs on his personal and professional life.

Marriage and Children Provided Mustaine Stability

Mustaine Quickly Married Pamela After a Chance Encounter

In discussing his personal life, Dave Mustaine mentions being married to Pamela for 34 years. He met Pamela at a bar under unusual circumstances. Mustaine was helping a friend, Ronnie, stay sober when he first encountered his future wife. After initially asking a friend to introduce them, Mustaine approached her himself, which later blossomed into a brief courtship. On an impulse trip to Hawaii, he proposed to Pamela in a spontaneous manner, leading to their wedding at the base of Waikiki Diamond Head Volcano.

Mustaine's Children in the Wine and Beer Business

Mustaine is the father of two children, Electra and Justice, who are both involved in the wine and beer business. Reflecting his appreciation for entrepreneurial efforts and craftmanship, Electra has become one of the youngest female sommeliers and, together with Pam, runs House of Mustaine, a wine business. Their wines that score into the 90th percentile are considered very desirable. Mustaine discusses the success of wines named with song titles to connect them to his brand. His daughter’s involvement in the wine business and his son's in the beer business showcases a sense of family endeavor within their respective alcoholic beverage industries.

Mustaine's Christian Faith Journey

Mustaine’s turn to Christianity stemmed from an arm injury and his search for solace. He delves into his past experiences with witchcraft, which he left behind when he became a Christian. Mustaine reflects on the clarity and purpose that faith brought to his life, contrasting it with his earlier lifestyle which involved drugs and spiritual darkness.

After embracing Christianity, Mustaine quit performing certain songs that had spiritual implications he was uncomfortable with, such as one containing elements of a hex. Mustaine believed that he had been cursed by others but also experienced miraculous events, such as praying over his dead dog, which he believes briefly came back to life.

Brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness, Mustaine had d ...

Mustaine's Cancer: A Shocking, Transformative Experience

Mustaine's Throat Cancer Diagnosed During Dental Visit, Leading To Aggressive Treatment

Dave Mustaine opens up about his battle with throat cancer, an unexpected diagnosis that began during a routine dental visit while he was on the road for the Jimi Hendrix Experience tour. When his mouth pain led him to see an oral surgeon, he was hit with the abrupt news that he had "the big C." Overcome with emotion, Mustaine recounts crying in his car after receiving the diagnosis. He admits that he avoided learning too much about the cancer or the treatment details, as he did not want it to define his life. Reflecting on the process, Mustaine mentions the challenges he faced, including “chemo brain” and intensive exams with a camera looking down his nose, which he struggles with due to his head and neck cancer.

Mustaine Recorded Acclaimed "the Sick, the Dying, and the Dead" During Cancer Treatment, Showing Resilience

Even during the aggressive treatment for his throat cancer, Mustaine’s commitment to his craft never wavered. He and his band Megadeth worked on their fiercest album to date, "The Sick, The Dying, And The Dead," despite the rigorous treatment including numerous chemotherapy sessions. Mustaine describes the doctors as being really aggressive in treating his cancer because of his profession as a singer, but they managed to save his voice, which he explains was a challenge to use during recordings due to his condition and a previous neck injury.

Cancer Battle Impacted Mustaine's Music and Outlook

Cancer Affected Mustaine's Voice, Altering Megadeth's Sound

Though the transcript does not directly address how cancer affected Mustaine's voice and the consequent alterations to Megadeth's sound, Mustaine does note the difficulty ...