Warren Zanes is an American musician and writer who has been known as guitarist for The Del Fuegos, a solo artist, and the biographer of Tom Petty. A Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Studies, Zanes is the former vice president of education and public programs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and executive director of Steven Van Zandt's Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. Zanes has taught at several American universities, including Case Western Reserve University, University of Rochester, and New York University, where he has been teaching since 2015.

The Del Fuegos were an American 1980s garage-style rock band. Formed in 1980, the Boston, Massachusetts, United States-based band gained success in 1986 with their songs "Don't Run Wild" and "I Still Want You" and appearing in a widely seen television commercial for Miller Beer. The band's fans included Tom Petty, who appeared on one of the band's songs and featured them as an opening act on one of his tours.