Guy Earnest Zarzana
February 14, 1961 – January 3, 2008
Guy Zarzana was born on February 14, 1961, in New York, New York. He was raised by his grandparents after his mother was incarcerated in connection with a drug deal gone wrong. His memory lives on with his sisters: Sherry-Ann, Dawn, and Denise Zarzana. They loved their brother dearly and all have beautiful families of their own.
From left to right: Denise Zarzana, Dawn Zarzana, Sherry-Ann Zarzana, and their mother
Guy is also remembered by his bandmates: Frank Petrello, Richard Herschlag, and Dan Seitler. The four made up the band Zarzana, later renamed Hard Attack, and Guy was their song writer and lead singer. From the late 1980s to 2005 these four men lived as rock stars in New York City. Frank Petrello, the band’s guitarist, spent some time studying at Juilliard and is now a railroad engineer. Richard Herschlag, the band’s bass player, graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He is now the CEO of a structural engineering company based in New Jersey. While I could not find any information on the band’s drummer, Dan Seitler, he is in a lot of the band’s pictures, and I can imagine they are just as close with him.
I spoke briefly with Mr. Herschlag through Facebook messenger. He told me that he had written a story and started getting a movie together memorializing the life of his friend Guy. The story tells tales of the great man that Guy Zarzana lived to be. I was also able to find a video tribute to Guy Zarzana made by his former bandmates and posted on YouTube by guitarist Frank Petrello. In the video, Guy was described as charismatic, loving, and “all life.” Bandmates believed had he been born into different circumstances, he could have been someone of great impact because “he had that kind of mind.” His songwriting and stage presence were said to come from his soul. Guy had a beautiful voice and energetic presence. His bandmates made sure to remember him as he was: a passionate friend. He remained close to his bandmates until the very end. The band’s last album was released in 2005, just three years before Guy passed away.
Guy’s soulful songwriting demonstrates not only a love for music and his friends, but also a love for a woman named Elizabeth. In 1987, Zarzana was featured on City Record Volume 1. The song was “I Know You Love Me (Elizabeth’s Song).” In “Elizabeth’s Song,” Guy sings, “When I met you, I think my heart skipped a beat…. Now that I have you I ain’t never gonna let you go. And the tears we spent together will only help our love to grow.”
Guy and Elizabeth lived together in Queens, New York for at least a decade. I can imagine that the years they spent together were full of passion and excitement. It is clear from his words that this woman meant the world to him at some point in his life. Unfortunately, Elizabeth passed away in 2020, so she cannot speak on her experiences with him.
In the 1990s Hard Attack was well on its way to stardom with the help of Claudia Stern, one of Guy’s many love interests. She had booked gigs for the band all over Europe. According to Richard, the only thing keeping the band from committing to this tour was Guy’s heroin habit. After the group turned down the tour, Guy decided to stay with Claudia in Daytona Beach, Florida. Their relationship lasted a few months. Pictured below is the home they lived in.
Guy moved to New Orleans in 2000 believing that music was his destiny and that he had to go someplace new to find his place in music once again. Before Katrina, he spent his time singing in cover bands in bars along Bourbon Street. According to Richard, Guy weathered Hurricane Katrina at John White’s bar. When the storm ended, he and a friend took a canoe through the Lower Ninth Ward rescuing people from flooded homes. Guy also found himself rescuing seven young girls from sex traffickers after an elderly man near Guy’s apartment told him that his granddaughter was taken and being held in an apartment on Burgundy Street.
Guy spent some time outside of the city recovering from the storm. He returned in November 2005. The next time he and Richard had a conversation of significance was November 2007. Guy was in University Hospital in New Orleans by way of Orleans Parish Prison. Guy found himself behind bars several weeks before due to heroin possession.
In December 2007, Guy told Richard he had AIDS. Later that month Guy suffered a stroke. His bandmates flew to New Orleans in January where they would ultimately say their goodbyes. Guy died January 3, 2008.
Guy’s life was burdened by drugs before he even came along, but to those he loved, his life was so much more than that. His life still matters. He was a brother, a friend, a lover, and an artist. His life, his mind, his voice brought people together in love, and that is what he should be remembered for.
Author: Charelle Lett
Sources:
- Correspondence, Richard Herschlag, Fall 2022
Places where Guy and Elizabeth lived together:
