Joey Gaydos Jr.’s life revolves around entertainment, specifically music and acting. He played Zack “Zack Attack” Mooneyham in one of the highest-grossing music-themed comedy films of all time, School of Rock (2003) when he was just 12 years old. When he was about 13, he released his debut album Joey Gaydos Jr, which included songs like Dizzy, Oz, She Never Loved Me, Rock Song, and Third Day Dream. 

While his only film appearance was in School of Rock, he has continued to make music to this day. Unfortunately, he was arrested and charged with stealing guitars by Florida police in 2019. This is not his first run-in with the law; he was arrested for drunk driving in 2009.

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Since You Don’t Much About Joey Gaydos Jr.’s Early Life And Family Background, Here’s What We’ve Found Out

Gaydos Jr. Hails From Dearborn, Michigan; He Is Of Croatian Descent 

Joey Gaydos Jr. was born on April 18, 1991, in Dearborn, Michigan, to Joey Gaydos Sr. and Marge. He is now 32 years old.

Despite being born in the United States, he has ethnic links with Croatia. At the time of writing, it was unclear if his Croatian ancestry came from his father or his mother. Furthermore, his surname “Gaydos” is prevalent among persons of Yugoslav descent.

In terms of schooling, he went to Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was here that he also attended a weeklong camp called Dayjams in 2002.

His Father Joey Gaydos Sr. Is A Musician

Joey Gaydos Sr., Gaydos Jr.’s father, was born and reared in Detroit, Michigan. After seeing a performance by the English rock band The Beatles, he fell in love with the guitar and began to play it.

Since then, he has collaborated with a number of legendary Michigan bands and musicians, including Mugsy, Weapons, AZ.U.R, Rob Tyner (MC5), Cub Koda, and Send More Cops. He was a member of the iconic Detroit band The Rockets and performed in various concerts and festivals with Ted Nugent, Eddie Money, Jon Waite, and April Wine.

He currently resides in Punta Gorda, Florida, where he performs in the duo The Sellouts.

The Dearborn Native Fell In Love With The Guitar At An Early Age

As previously stated, Gaydos Jr.’s father is a guitarist who made a name for himself in the Michigan rock scene before retiring. As you can see, the 32-year-old was born into a musical household, so it’s only natural that he’d gravitate toward music.

He began playing the guitar at the age of 3, but he wasn’t really immersed in it until he was about 8 years old. In 2002, at the age of 11, he attended Dayjams, a week-long camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Now That You Know About His Background, We Are Delving Into Joey Gaydos Jr.’s Career

He Had His First And Only Movie Role In School of Rock

In the music-themed comedy film School of Rock (2003), he portrayed Zack “Zack Attack” Mooneyham when he was he 12. According to imdb.com, he got the part when a representative viewed a music video of him and his bandmates and asked if he wanted to audition for the role of a 10-year-old guitar player in the film.

Gaydos Jr. and his family flew to Chicago for the casting call, and he left a lasting impression. He later traveled to California to meet with the film’s producer, writer, and director. He was cast as Zack in the picture a few weeks later.

The film, starring Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman, was released in October 2003. It became one of the highest-grossing music-themed comedy films, grossing $131 million at the box office on a $35 million production budget.

Afterward, he never appeared in any film. Therefore School of Rock was his first and only movie role.

Gaydos Jr. Released His Debut Album When He Was 13

Music is his first love, and he intends to pursue it for the rest of his life. He is first and foremost a musician, and afterward an actor.

He released his debut album after his name (Joey Gaydos Jr.) just a year after School of Rock. The album was published in December 2004 and contains ten tracks:

  • Dizzy
  • Oz
  • She Never Loved Me
  • Rock Song
  • Third-Day Dream
  • Sonic Boom
  • Let Me Go
  • Funkology
  • Just A Little Bit
  • U.c.b

Some of his other projects include the single Vanishing  Point (2021) and an EP Calm Weather (2020).

Gaydos Jr. Had A Brush With The Law A Couple Of Times

He Was Arrest For Drunk Driving At 17

The School of Rock actor had a brush with the law a couple of times. At the age of 17, he had his first run-in with the law when he was arrested for drunk driving while trying to drive away from a Teco Bell.

From what we gathered, he was arrested in February 2009 and charged with operating a car while intoxicated. The following month, he pleaded guilty to driving while drunk.

He was placed on two-year probation by the probation department at 34th District in Romulus. He was ordered to pay a fine of $1,113 and other costs.

The Dearborn-born Musician Was Charged With Stealing Guitars In 2019

Eleven years later, he was arrested again, this time for theft. According to reports, he was arrested in February 2019 by Florida police for stealing guitars and an amp.

The arrest came after police released a video of him calmly strumming a guitar before walking out the entrance of the Troll Music store on February 7, 2019. Local music store owners were alarmed after seeing the clip.

Four days later, he stormed Sarasota’s Sam Ash music store, sampling a few guitars before leaving with an almost $2,000 Les Paul. The workers recognized him and followed him out to confront him. A couple of customers stopped his car to prevent him from fleeing before the cops arrived and arrested him.

He had developed a habit of coming into music stores, trying guitars, leaving without paying, and then selling them at pawn shops, according to the police. His heists began in January 2019 and had stolen a blue Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul priced at $800, a black Fender Stratocaster valued at $699, and a Gibson Les Paul gold top valued at $1,900.

He admitted to the crime and blamed it on a drug issue. He did, however, enter a not-guilty plea in court. There is currently no report on the case’s outcome.

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