Dave Mustaine is an American-born guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, actor, and writer. He is widely regarded as one of the best guitarists of his generation and as a pioneer of the thrash metal subgenre of heavy metal music. A former member of the heavy metal band ‘Metallica’, Dave Mustaine is best known as a founding member, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and frontman of the heavy metal band ‘Megadeth’.
Dave Mustaine’s Bio
David Scott Mustaine was born on September 13, 1961, in La Mesa, California. His mother Emily (née David) is of German descent while his father John Mustaine had a combination of French, Canadian, Irish, and Finnish ancestry. Dave Mustaine was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and has continued to hold on to his Christain faith.
As a teenager, he left home and joined his first real band ‘Panic’ in the 1970s as the lead guitarist. However, the band later fell apart in 1981 following the tragic death of 2 of its members. Mustaine later moved to the heavy metal band Metallica which was made up of drummer Lars Ulrich and vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield. However, he was fired in 1983, just before the band recorded its debut album, owing to erratic behavior on his side as well as severe alcohol and drug abuse. Mustaine then returned to live with his mother in California where he saved up enough money to relocate to Hollywood.
In Hollywood, Dave Mustaine formed his own heavy metal band named ‘Fallen Angels’ which later morphed into the more popular present-day ‘Megadeth’. Megadeth was originally made up of Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson, guitarist Greg Handevidt and drummer Dijon Carruthers. However, this line-up has transformed several times over the years. The band has so far, released numerous albums as well as several chart-topping hits. In addition to their immense commercial success, the band has also recorded worldwide critical acclaim and Dave Mustaine is widely regarded as one of the best guitarists the world has ever known. Over the years, Dave and his Megadeth band have been known to stir up controversies, either through unguarded press statements or through the lyrics of their songs.
In 2003, the guitarist suffered a career-threatening arm injury which led to the temporary disbandment of Megadeth. While undergoing physical therapy to regain use of his left hand, the multitalented artiste delved into other aspects of music including record production. He was also able to rebuild Megadeth in 2004, however, some members of the band were reluctant to return. The following year, Mustaine launched the annual heavy metal music festival Gigantour as an alternative to Ozzy Osbourne‘s Ozzfest.
In 2010, original Megadeth bassist David Ellefson eventually reunited with the band followed by a North American tour to mark the 20th anniversary of Megadeth’s highly successful 1990 album Rust in Peace. After several nominations over the years, Megadeth eventually picked up their first Grammy Award in 2017 for Best Metal Performance for their 15th studio album Dystopia (2016). With millions of records sold all over the world, Megadeth is currently regarded as one of the pioneers of the thrash metal subgenre and Dave Mustaine is the only member of the band to have featured in all of the band’s recordings since inception.
Dave Mustaine Wife
Just like his sterling music career, Dave Mustaine has also had it good on the home front. The talented musician is married to Pamela Anne Casselberry. The couple tied the knot way back in April 1991 during the budding period of Mustaine’s career. Well over 2 decades and 2 children later, the couple has remained together and are equally waxing strong. They welcomed their first child on February 11, 1992, a son named Justis David Mustaine. The couple welcomed a second child on January 28, 1998, a daughter named Electra Nicole Mustaine.
Son, Daughter
Interestingly, both of Dave Mustaine’s children have toed their famous father’s path into showbiz. His son Justis David Mustaine is an actor and a guitarist. He has appeared in a number of stage productions, however, he has not ventured into an on-screen acting career. On her own part, Mustaine’s daughter Electra Mustaine is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Unlike her metalhead dad, Electra Mustaine has ventured into country music.
Height and Other Body Measurements
Dave Mustaine stands at an impressive height of 6 feet (183 cm). He equally sports a fit physique with a bodyweight of 84 kg (185 lbs). Over the years, the Megadeth frontman has maintained his red curly hair which is regarded as one of his trademark features.
