David Zajicek/Zychek

Every life has a story, but David Zajicek’s life is a melody with guitar accompaniment. David Bruce Zajicek/Zychek left this world peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Thursday, March 31, 2016. He has joined a celestial choir of sweet voices and walks with his Lord Jesus Christ. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a. m. Saturday, April 2, 2016, at Wilkirson— Hatch—Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd in Waco. Family members will attend David’s private burial service at Corinth Cemetery. Reverend Bruce Copeland will be officiating. Born September 17, 1951, in Biloxi, Mississippi, David’s parents A. W. and Lamerle Zajicek, brought their firstborn to his beloved Texas as soon as they could, raising their growing family in Buckholts, where David excelled in football at Buckholts High School and graduated in 1970. Even before graduation, David’s music career had already started as his innate talent as a guitarist was fueled by the emerging rock music industry in Austin, Texas. His entire life was dedicated to performance, arrangement, production, and engineering all facets in the rock music industry. David was extremely proud of his two sons, Nathan and Zack Zajicek, who have followed their father in loving and creating music, while Nathan has also excelled in the medical profession, a tradition in the Zajicek family for decades. David is survived by his parents A. W. and Lamerle Zajicek of Buckholts, son Nathan Zajicek of Temple, and son Zack Zajicek of McGregor; sister Jennifer Mascorro and husband Sam of Waco; sister Jana Connolly and husband Craig of Temple; brother Scott Zajicek and wife Lisa of Lubbock; six beloved nieces and six nephews. Pallbearers are San Davis, Gary Pavlica, Ronny Griffin, David Prater, Beau Hill, Tony Calhoun, Bruce Byars, Ted Nugent and Calvin Ross. Family and invited friends will gather in celebration of David’s life after burial at Prospect Hall in Riesel, Texas. Memorials may be made to Providence Hospice, 6700 Sanger Avenue, Waco, Texas, 76710. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www. WHBfamily.com. The Time of His Life: The Music of David Zajicek David’s unparalleled musicianship transcends a time span of nearly 50 years from his first plastic guitar to his newest Gibson Les Paul added to his collection only last week. His career as lead guitarist began as a teenager with the Austin band HELIX, but in 1968 David stepped up as one of the front-runners in rock music with the original band TEXAS with Kyle Pilgrim, Ray Ramsey, and Clif Breitweg. With the 1970s bringing David closer to his Central Texas roots, he met lifetime friend and guitarist San Davis and formed tZiah, along with Neil Gunn, Mack Ward, and former TEXAS keyboardist Clif Breitweg. Opportunity rocked in 1973, when Altec Lansing in Los Angeles, CA, launched a line of audio products dedicated to professional musicians and hired Texas rockers MORPHEUS FARGO, David’s newly formed band with tZiah’s San Davis and Mack Ward, plus brothers Mark and Dan Kerr. While the band tested sound gear and was showcased in the Altec Lansing Audio Products Catalog, MORPHEUS FARGO reveled in the LA music scene and was featured in Altec Lansing’s promotional ads in Guitar Player magazine. Not quite ready to return to Texas, David’s next career move was to Denver, Colorado, to join a regional touring group HEAD FIRST, a band that featured David’s guitarist’s dexterities, gaining him the attention of Keith Olsen, noted producer of such bands as Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, and Heart. Olsen’s nod resulted in the formation of a band called AIRBORNE, headed up by Dallas native Beau Hill, a seasoned studio musician whose production work had been noticed by Olsen. David and Beau, along with new band mates Larry Stewart, Mike Baird, and John Pierce, were signed to Columbia Records and Irving Azoff’s (Eagles) Frontline Management. David’s entrance into the recording industry in 1979 as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter provided the education of studio engineering and producing — skills he would bring back to Texas in the future. And bring it on home, he did. David could never stay gone from Texas for long stretches of time. His family, friends, and his deep-rooted Texas rock style kept him in touch with his beloved Lone Star State. Christmas was one magical time to bring out all of his guitar playing expertise and gift it to fans, friends, and, of course, family at the legendary Tom Sefcik Hall, in the tiny community of Seaton, a few miles east of Temple. Together with his loyal, hard-thumping bassist San Davis and the boom of drummer Gary Pavlica on his massive set of drums, David created the hard-rockin’, blues bustin’ sound of the GROOVE KINGS, possibly the one constant dynamic in his music career. This group of three was once described as formidable, probably due to their tough and often strenuous efforts in making a trio sound like a roomful of guitars and rhythms pulsating with a beat that dares all not to dance. The GROOVE KINGS dominated the Central Texas music scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s playing their trademark bluesy rock and roll in local clubs, outdoor venues, and always, always at Sefcik Hall each and every Christmas. In 1982, the GROOVE KINGS toured the state, headlining shows and backing up the legendary BO DIDDLEY, who had heard about the three rockers and hired them as his band for his Texas Tour. Before slipping out of Texas once again to pursue his interests in Los Angeles, David produced two albums, Cause An Effect and Behind the 8 Ball with the talents of San and Gary although a plethora of studio recordings remain to be released one day. During the mid-80s, David picked up on the studio scene once again as a session guitarist in Los Angeles. Soon he was back in his element playing with members of the STEVE MILLER BAND, among others. Never one to gather moss under his feet, David was eager to travel and play live once more. Ken Hensley, keyboardist for the acclaimed U.K’s URIAH HEEP, formed his own band, THE KEN HENSLEY PROJECT, and hand-picked David to be his guitarist on tour. In between these projects, David would return to Texas, pick up several long-time Waco musicians— Paul Brown, brother Scott Zajicek, Ricky Mathews, and Jeff Lassiter— and offer to play his heart out as THE ZYCHEK BAND or sometimes simply ZYCHEK. These spontaneous gigs were known as some of the best jams in the state, drawing crowds far and wide, especially when the music united a host of lifelong friends on ALICE SULAK’S stage upstairs at SEFCIK HALL in tiny Seaton, Texas. [Note of interest: For the first time in history, David filled the stage this past Christmas with a band of all Zajiceks: son Nathan on guitar, 16 year-old son Zack on drums, and brother Scott on bass.] In 1993, David teamed up with another Texas musician and multi-platinum selling record producer David Prater, who had produced highly successful albums for DREAM THEATER and won an American Music Award for “Best New Rock Artist” FIREHOUSE, among other awards in the music industry. Prater asked David to help him out on a project for NIGHTRANGER, entitled Feeding Off the Mojo for Drive Entertainment. While mainly contributing to song arrangement and supplying backing guitar, keyboard, and bass, the band was impressed enough to offer David a place in the band for a year-long tour in support of their record. It was at this time that band member Jack Blades was on hiatus with the Damn Yankees, so David accepted the offer and traveled the world doing what he loved most, winning over audiences with his phenomenal guitar playing and harmonies. Well into the 1990s, David Zajicek/Zychek continued to collaborate with David Prater on projects around the state, honing his skills in producing, recording, and engineering. In 1998, David was given the opportunity to start his own studio with partner-drummer Ronny Griffin out in the peaceful setting of the China Spring area near Waco. LARGEMOUTH RECORDING STUDIO, named for Ronny’s favorite fish to catch in area tournaments, became David’s oyster. With the dawn of a new millennium David released his own 11 song album entitled New Blood under the band name DEAD HEART BEATING, produced at LARGEMOUTH. Along with David’s powerful guitar, San Davis provided extra guitar and backup vocals, Ronny Griffin on drums kept the heart beating, along with Johnny Big on his six string bass and singing backup vocals as well. LARGEMOUTH RECORDING STUDIO continues to serve bands, local and statewide, seeking out David’s expertise in meticulously producing the sounds unique for the many styles of Texas music today. Time marched on for David Zychek and his instincts carried him along as he stepped up to tour the world with various artists, even in the country music genre. He collaborated with British singer/songwriter Deborah Joan Jones of the band STEALING WISHES, providing guitars along with drummer and LARGEMOUTH owner Ronny Griffin, where their debut album was recorded. Rock hero Ted Nugent also called on David to collaborate on his projects since Nugent had moved his family to the Central Texas area. Perhaps the most fun of all the bands for which David Zajicek/Zychek has supplied stinging guitar and screaming vocals, the MOJO ASSASSINS might just be it. Taking their cues from the rich culture of bassist and lead vocals of Tony Calhoun, who has jammed with Prince, Blondie, Parliament Funkadelic, Buddy Guy, Sam and Dave and even more artists, how can this trio be anything but pure funk and fun? Ronny Griffin brings in his own attitude with his love of the New Orleans Jazz Festivals, which ignited the spark and the sparkle of the band. Add the spice of David Zychek who always stirs things up with his guitar work and the Mojo Assassins bring on the smiles. Their debut album Mojo Assassins was created nowhere else but LARGEMOUTH RECORDING STUDIO and their second album is in the works. The history of David Bruce Zajicek’s music and recording career is in itself a grand production. Not every detail can possibly be known as David’s fans, friends, and family know—David always had something up his sleeve or under his hat. His works will continue to grow, his voice and guitar will never be silenced. His two most grand productions are his sons Nathan and Zack Zajicek who have been central in David’s career. How else can it be explained why David kept a beeline in and out of Central Texas? Sure, it was the music but it was more for the love of his sons, his family, his friends, band mates, and fans. Through us all and our love of his antics on stage, his loud, raw solos— up and down the neck of his guitar forever, and his smiling Texas drawl saying, “Ain’t nuthin’ but a thang”, David will never leave us, will never be forgotten. He may have ruined our hearing but that’s the price we gladly pay— for the love and the music from our own Texas Guitarist Extraordinaire.