The Conservatory just received sad news of one of alumnus David Zablidowsky’s (B.A. ’03) tragic death. The full press account follows: “David “Z” Zablidowsky, bassist of American heavy metal group Adrenaline Mob and touring member of American progressive rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has died in a vehicle accident. He was 38 years old. “ZO2 lead vocalist, guitarist, bandmate and brother Paul Zablidwosky issued the following statement: ‘As you can all imagine, my family and I are devastated by the horrific news of David’s passing. A piece of our hearts has been taken from us today and we are figuring out how to deal with this as a family. Please give us time and space to mourn and we will keep you posted when we can. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.’ “Former Adrenaline Mob and current Disturbed bassist John Moyer shared the following words, meanwhile: ‘This talented, humble, sweet soul left us today way too soon. If you saw him perform you were lucky. If you knew him you were blessed. RIP David Z. You were a beast on stage and it was my pleasure to have shared it with you on your last days. Going to miss you brother.’ “Adrenaline Mob were scheduled to play Friday night at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida. A tractor-trailer veered off of Interstate 75 near Micanopy, and struck the group’s RV that had pulled off the highway with a flat tyre. “Marion County Fire Rescue officials reportedly arrived at 12:38 p.m., [and had] the fire under control at 12:54 p.m. Firefighters from multiple fire stations through the county travelled to the location, with a group of registered nurses from Shands stopping at the scene and providing aid to the victims. “David “Z” Zablidowsky was pronounced dead at 12:42 p.m. “Of the nine people that were in the vehicles, one has died (David “Z”), six were taken to area hospitals, and the other two declined medical treatment. Of the six injured, three were reported to be in a critical condition, while the other three were in a stable condition. They were taken to UF Health Shands Hospital and North Florida Regional Medical Center. “Adrenaline Mob frontman Russell Allen later issued following statement: ‘Yesterday I was involved in an accident that took the life of my dear friend and bandmate, David Z, and left three of our crew in critical condition. I’m overwhelmed with sorrow. I am so grateful for the outpouring of love we have received from around the world. Please continue to pray for David’s family during this difficult time. And those in critical condition.’ “’I want to personally thank Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick Dumon for his bravery in assisting me pull our driver Jason [McCole] from the wreckage and for attending to his wounds. And for helping me to secure and attend to Jane [Janet Rains, tour manager] once I was able to get her free from the fire. Without his selfless act of courage I would not have been able to get them clear of the RV before it was engulfed in flames. On behalf of my band and crew I thank you.’ “In a separate statement, guitarist Mike Orlando added: ‘I can not begin to thank you all for all the prayers and thoughts. I’m trying to process and deal with this, physically and mentally… so I’m sorry for being vague. We’ve literally experienced hell on earth… I’m absolutely broken, both physical and mental. I love you, Dave, I will miss you more than words can say. You were one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever known.’ “Drummer Jordan Cannata posted the following on his personal Facebook page, meanwhile: ‘Hi everyone. I don’t even know where to begin, so I will start by saying thank you for all of the love and support from everyone. We are all devastated and will need some time to physically and mentally cope but the outpouring of love has been nothing short of inspiring. David Z… I love you, I miss you, and send my heartfelt condolences to your family and friends. To the rest of my bandmates and crew, I love you all. Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you everyone. RIP David Z.’ “David Zablidowsky was born on June 29th, 1979. A Brooklyn, New York native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Brooklyn College. “From 2000 until 2006, Zablidowsky was a touring member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, resuming the role from 2010 onwards. “Zablidowsky formed ZO2 in 2002 with older brother Paulie, Paulie acting as vocalist and lead guitarist, the outfit issuing the following trio of studio affairs; Tuesdays & Thursdays (2004), Ain’t It Beautiful (2007), and Casino Logic (2009). In the summer of 2004, ZO2 supported Kiss and Poison on the Rock The Nation US tour. “The TV series Z Rock, airing for two seasons on the IFC channel from 2008 to 2009, was based on their lives. “2002 also saw Zablidowsky tour with Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, visiting countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Oman with the USO. “2005 studio jaunt The Usual Suspects – the ninth solo effort from former Rainbow and Deep Purple frontman Joe Lynn Turner – featured the services of the bassist. “SOTO – the rock assortment led by ex-Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Jeff Scott Soto – recruited Zablidowsky in 2013, the musician appearing on 2015’s Inside The Vertigo and 2016’s Divak. “The appointment of David “Z” to the ranks of Adrenaline Mob was confirmed on March 22nd, 2017, replacing John Moyer (Disturbed). “Third Adrenaline Mob studio record We The People was released in June 2017 via Century Media.” David had studied double bass while at the Conservatory with Prof. Jules Hirsh.
