What Growing Up Was Like for DAVE MUSTAINE: 'My Dad Drank A Lot And Was Abusive'

Dave Mustaine, the founder of Megadeth and one of heavy metal’s most recognizable voices, has lived a life filled with music, fame, and success.

But behind the guitars and sold-out shows is a past that’s far less glamorous.

In a 2021 interview with Kerrang!, Mustaine shared personal memories from a difficult childhood that shaped much of who he would become.

A Rough Start at Home

Born in the early 1960s, Mustaine didn’t grow up in a stable household. He said his father struggled with alcohol and was abusive. That tension eventually led to divorce, but things didn’t get easier afterward.

“It was terrible,” he said. “My dad drank a lot and was abusive, so my parents divorced when I was young. Things got worse from there.”

After the divorce, his mother moved the family to Costa Mesa, California, where they lived with an aunt who was a Jehovah’s Witness. His mom soon converted too.

“They don’t believe in Christmas, birthdays, or holidays,” Mustaine recalled. “My life was wrecked from that moment on until I moved out.”

Social Isolation and School Struggles

The religious restrictions had a deep impact on his personal life. Mustaine wasn’t allowed to form friendships outside the church, which left him feeling isolated, especially at school.

“At school, when it was time to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, I had to just stand there with my hands at my sides. Other kids would look at me like, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’”

He went on to explain that church rules limited his social circle. Most of the other kids in the congregation lived far away, and he didn’t feel connected to them.

“They were considered less ‘worldly,’ and I was expected to only be friends with them, but they weren’t really my type of people.”

Finding a Way Out

Mustaine eventually left home, a move that gave him the freedom to start rebuilding his life on his own terms.

That independence set the stage for the creation of Megadeth, the thrash metal band that would go on to sell millions of albums and become one of the genre’s biggest names.

Songs like Peace Sells, Holy Wars, and Symphony of Destruction helped define Megadeth’s sound, and Mustaine’s place in music history.

Of course, his time in Metallica and the infamous fallout with the band is a whole other story. And yes, it’s one that left its own scars.

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