MIKE SCACCIA guitarist for Texas metal bands RIGOR MORTIS, REVOLTING COCKS and industrial metal legends MINISTRY passed away after suffering a seizure/heart attack on stage 12/23/2012 at the RAIL CLUB IN FORTWORTH, TEXAS, MIKE SCACCIA was 47.
SCACCIA was performing with RIGOR MORTIS (BRUCE CORBITT 50th Birthday bash) when he passed unconscious on stage. MIKE SCACCIA is the guitarist for Texas, USA industrial metal legends MINISTRY. MINISTRY unleashed "Relapse" 3/23/2012 on 13th PLANET RECORDS.
MIKE SCACCIA was in the studio recording RIGOR MORTIS's first release in 20 years with MINISTRY main man AL JOURGENSEN producing.
RIGOR MORTIS also features GWAR bassist CASEY ORR and WARBEAST vocalist BRUCE CORBITT.
FROM RIGOR MORTIS: Here is the official word... R.I.P Mike Scaccia. SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH Due to: ATHEROSCLEROTIC AND HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE
TARRANT COUNTY TEXAS MIKE SCACCIA CORONERS REPORT:
http://mepublic.tarrantcounty.com/mepublic/
FROM RIGOR MORTIS: Here is the official word... R.I.P Mike Scaccia. SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH Due to: ATHEROSCLEROTIC AND HYPERTENSIVE HEART DISEASE
TARRANT COUNTY TEXAS MIKE SCACCIA CORONERS REPORT:
http://mepublic.tarrantcounty.com/mepublic/
http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/12-23-12-09-48-rigor-mortis-guitarist-mike-scaccia-collapses-during-performance-is-dead-at-47/
FROM BRUCE CORBITT (RIGOR MORTIS, WARBEAST):
FROM MINISTRY: "RIP, Mike — the greatest guitar player I ever knew. I'm proud to say that I was always Mike Scaccia's biggest fan, and always will be."
FROM RIGOR MORTIS:We Love You Mike!!!
FROM SARAH SCACCIA: "I love you so much dad. I love you so much."
FROM ANTHRAX:
R.I.P. Mike Scaccia
FROM METAL ARMY AMERICA:
This has to be one of the saddest things I've heard in a long time. RIP Mike Scaccia. RIGOR MORTIS has a new album coming out in 2013, and everthing.
FROM CATTLE DECAPITATION:
R.I.P. Mike Scaccia!
Our thoughts are with our friends Bruce Corbitt, Al Jourgensen and anyone else who was a friend or in a band with this amazing guy. Great guitar player, humble dude. We could all learn a thing or two from this man.
Travis has wanted Cattle to cover this song for the last 12 years or more.
FROM METAL RULES:
The guitarist of Ministry and the legenday Rigor Mortis, Michael "Mike " Scaccia, has passed away last night after the Bruce Corbitt's 50th B-day show. Scaccia had got a heart attack after the show.
Metal-Rules.Com sends condolences to all the Ministry Rigor Mortis teams and Scaccia's family.
FROM HAILS AND HORNS MAGAZINE:
Apparently Mike Scaccia passed out on stage last night. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced DOA. Condolences to his family and band. )0(Burns)0( Hails and Horns Magazine.
FROM RIOT:
RIP Mike. Our deepest condolences go out to the Mike Scaccia family and of course the Ministry and Rigor Mortis family. Mike passed away onstage last nite. Great guitarist and friend. Say "hello" to Mark......Shine On!......\m/ RIOT \m/
FROM GWAR:
Blown away by the sudden and tragic passing of our brother-in-metal-arms, Mike Scaccia, last night in Dallas, Texas. Strength to the Scaccia family and all of his friends...you will be missed brother. Stay strong, Texas, you always were.
FROM AL JOURGENSEN (MINISTRY):
I "JUST LOST MY LIL’ BROTHER AND MY BEST FRIEND – THE 13TH PLANET COMPOUND IS DEVASTATED,COMPLETELY IN SHOCK AND SHATTERED. MIKEY WAS NOT ONLY THE BEST GUITAR PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC, BUT HE WAS A CLOSE, CLOSE, CLOSE PART OF OUR FAMILY – AND I JUST LOST A HUGE CHUNK OF MY HEART TODAY. OUR LIVES ARE FOREVER CHANGED. LIFE WITHOUT MIKEY IS LIKE ORANGE JUICE WITHOUT PULP – KIND OF BLAND. I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS WHAT THIS GUY MEANT TO ME, MY FAMILY, MY CAREER….EVERYTHING!
GET TO KNOW HIS LEAD PARTS – FOR THEY ARE IN THE PANTHEON OF MUSIC! UNFORTUNATELY, MOST OF YOU DIDN’T GET TO KNOW MIKEY’S SOUL -WHICH IS IN THE PANTHEON OF HUMANITY. HE IS MY HERO, MY FRIEND AND MY IDOL. MIKEY WAS ALWAYS BESIDE ME – MY RIGHT HAND MAN – THROUGH THICK AND THIN, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AND THE BEAUTIFUL.
REST IN PEACE MY BROTHER, MY FRIEND, MY HEART. PLEASE PRAY FOR MIKE SCACCIA AND JENNY, HIS WIFE AND THEIR CHILDREN, AND HIS FAMILY"…..AL
PHIL ANSELMO (DOWN):
RIP our dear friend brother...He will not be forgotten, he is Legend...We love you and miss you Mike Scaccia...
“I have traveled the world playing music, and I’ve been fortunate to play, with extremely talented guitarists, and to have seen living legends right in front of my eyes. But when it came down to extremities, I’ve known since 1987 who the fastest, most precise player on this planet was, and that was the one and only Mike Scaccia. The playing field is now even.
I can’t put into words what it meant for me to be accepted into the Rigor Mortis horde back when I was the new guy in town, and playing in a rival band back in the late 80’s. But we were kindred spirits, and Mike Scaccia’s kindness helped that bonding process which I still cherish today. Underneath Mike’s soft-spoken, quiet demeanor, there lived a monster of mythical size, unbridled passion, and a practitioner of inhuman feats that will never be replicated. We called his picking hand ‘The Hummingbird’ because of its blinding speed and accuracy. But now, ‘The Hummingbird’ has flown.
Let his body of work speak for itself, as a legacy of success not many can achieve. When Mike played, you knew it was him, and with that, he left a mark in music that can’t be touched. The DFW area has lost our era’s two greatest guitarists in Mike Scaccia and Dimebag Darrell Abbott, and that is a terrible blow. But their accomplishments will be considered sacred ground for aeons. When I think of my fallen comrade Dime, I think of him as a star in the cosmos. I will think of Mike in the same way, in honor of his legacy and friendship.
Celebrate this great man’s life. With all my love, sincerely
-Philip H. Anselmo”
FROM PANTERA: RIP Mike Scaccia. Another sad loss for the metal community.
Please help Mike Scaccia's family if you can. They have been hit hard by his death. RIP Mike.
FROM ODERUS URUNGUS (GWAR):
"The metal and music world in general lost a true legend this past week after the unexpected death of MINISTRY and RIGOR MORTIS guitar player Mike Scaccia. Mike collapsed during a RIGOR MORTIS gig in Dallas and never regained consciousness.
"We are stunned by this terrible, gut-wrenching event that unfortunately we are all-too-familiar with, having lost our brother, Cory Smoot, a little over a year ago. Our hearts go out to Mike's family and friends.
"Mike was a friend of ours and practically a brother to our longtime bass player, Casey Orr. He had tried to get Mike to play for GWAR a couple of times and Mike was always smart enough to turn him down. I completely understand why someone wouldn't want to subject themselves to what we go through, but still I always wondered what GWAR would have sounded like with Mike. But then we found Cory... then lost Cory... Ain't life a fucking bitch.
"If there is one thing I have realized in this last year, it's that the life we are given is incredibly precious and can be snatched away from us at any moment. You have to savor every drop and get every molecule of sweetness you can...and you have to protect and cherish all of your loved ones with every bit of strength your heart can muster. An easy task? No. But in order to give life meaning, it is one we must essay, endure, and triumph over.
"I don't think many would argue that Mike's trademark guitar sound jumpstarted MINISTRY and forged some of the most memorable sounds that legendary band ever created. The hugeness of MINISTRY made many missMike's groundbreaking work with RIGOR MORTIS, one of the seminal thrash metal acts to ever spurn the face of this bloody clod we call Earth. He was, quite simply, a guitar God.
"The GWAR family grieves deeply with the many friends, fans, and family that Mike left behind.
"Again our hearts go out to all who are suffering through this incredible loss, and I ask the GWAR family to help, if they can."
FROM CASEY ORR (GWAR/RIGOR MORTIS):
"How do I say goodbye to Mike Scaccia? How do I say goodbye to my best friend, my bandmate, my songwriting partner, my mentor, and yes, sometimes my tormentor? How do I say goodbye to such a unique and amazing talent, taken away from us far too soon? How do I say goodbye to someone I loved and admired, who enlightened me and inspired me, and made me believe that anything was possible? How do I say goodbye to my brother? How do I say goodbye to someone like Mike Scaccia?
"I can't. I won't. I don't have to.
"Mike Scaccia will live forever.
"Mike Scaccia lives on through his wonderful children and his beautiful wife, Jenny. He lives on through his family who were always his biggest cheerleaders. He lives on through his bandmates and all the musicians that had the honor of working with him over the years. Those of us who got to experience the full range of his musical capabilities. We, fortunate few, who knew, who REALLY knew, just how truly gifted he was. He lives on through his friends and his fans, and he will live on through the next generation of guitar players who will no doubt discover and be inspired by him and continue to push the boundaries of the instrument that he loved so much. He will live on through each and every one of us that he touched, because he was much more than just a brilliant guitar player. More than the just the coolest motherfucker I ever knew. He was a genuinely good guy. He had a way of making anyone feel like an old friend. He was accessible and would talk to anyone who wanted to talk. Especially if the subject was guitars. We hear story after story from people who met him for the first time after a guitar clinic, saying the same thing: 'Mike talked to me for 45 minutes after his clinic, talked to me like he knew me, suggested records to listen to or guitar players to study, gave me a fresh pack of strings and told me to go home and practice my ass off.' He was just a cool dude! And he didn't have a big ego. He wasn't a competitive guitar player. He wasn't out to be the best. Never claimed to be. He just loved the guitar and the guitar loved him right back. He wasn't flashy. He didn't showboat. But he didn't have to. His abilities were the flash and his hands were the show. You could always tell who the guitar players were in the audience, because they were all standing in front of Mike with their jaws on the floor and their eyes glued to his hands. It truly was just that amazing to behold!
"Of course, Mike wasn't perfect. None of us are. He traveled some dark roads in the past and he went through some dark times. But he never gave up on himself and he came back into the light and continued his journey, wiser and more humble for his experience. He fought his demons and he won. And for the last decade or so, he steadily hiked back up the mountain, concentrating on his family, and really enjoying his work and all of the people he worked with.
"And, most definitely, Mike Scaccia will live on through his music. He left behind some classic records as well as a whole lot of unreleased stuff. Not filler to be included to stretch out some best-of package, but albums worth of incredible music, that I, as a fan, sincerely look forward to being released someday, so the world can finally see the depth of his talent and enjoy the beautiful music he created.
"I am honored to be able to say that I have been Mike Scaccia's bass player for 30 years. Privileged to get to watch him play the things very few people ever got to see. The little riffs and things he would play at practice or just warming up. STONES, Johnny Cash, DEVO, cartoon songs, 'Jessie's Girl', just whatever. He had a rare gift, in that any tune he could conjure in his head, he could instantly translate to his hands and guitar. No searching for key or the notes. It was effortless. Instinctive. Freakish. It was awesome!
"And I am honored to be able to say that I have been Mike Scaccia's friend for 30 years. Privileged to share all the things that life throws at you. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. We laughed a lot.
"We had our own language that only a band of brothers could understand. A weird, movie reference twin-speak that would drive our wives or girlfriends crazy, because they had no idea what we were saying or why we were laughing like idiots.
"It's really hard to say goodbye to Mike Scaccia. It hurts deeply. It's such an enormous loss to all of us and to the world. Such a tragic and shocking and unexpected passing of a man who was already a living legend. And we're all so very very sad. We will continue to shed tears for our loss for some time to come, and I for one will not apologize for a single one.
"We lost one of the greats. An unpretentious rock star. An incredible and one-of-a-kind talent. One of, if not the, greatest rock and roll guitar player of our time. And I say that without reservation or hesitation.
"On December 22, 2012, Mike Scaccia died. But he died doing what he loved. He died with his boots on and with his current favorite Les Paul in his hands. He died onstage, playing with his brothers, the guys he started his career with, playing to his hometown crowd, surrounded by the people who loved him most and who he loved. He died with happiness in his life. He died playing the guitar. How rock and roll is that?
"So, yeah, I can't say goodbye to Mike Scaccia. I'll just say 'so long,' you beautiful motherfucker. We'll meet again one day on the other side and you can show me that new riff you're working on.
"I love you, Mike."
FROM JOHN PEREZ (SOLITUDE AETURNUS):
"I am by no means the official spokesperson for the Dallas/Fort Worth metal scene, but I feel compelled to speak a few words about this all-too-shocking event.
"Scaccia meant so much to the world but he also meant even more to all of the metal community in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. No doubt people know of the great Darrell Abbott [PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN] who was also from our scene, but it must be stated that 'round these parts,Scaccia's name was held in equal high esteem. Yesterday's heartfelt memorial service was a testament to this fact and brings to mind the bigger picture of what this is all about.
"People like Scaccia brings us all together in brotherhood and sisterhood through our shared love for music. This brings us together as a community and we bond and share with each other the gift of music.
"Scaccia made us all excited about metal music through his completely over-the-top approach to guitar and we all knew that he was the man to contend with when it came to blistering, 'bee wing' picking. But he was a complete musician and much more than just a thrash metal genius.
"For all of us fellow musicians in the area, he made us proud of the fact that we had not only one of the greatest guitarists in metal/rock history, but TWO of them! And how bizarre that Mike passed on stage, just as our other brother did years back. But we all rest just a little bit easier knowing that he went out doing what he was born to do and on home turf with his family and friends surrounding him.
"I know that my peers around the area are still mourning and still in shock over Mike's much-too-early passing, but we should all feel grateful that we had such a badass and all-round genuine guy to look up to right in our own backyard.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with his family, band mates and closest friends, and I know I can speak on behalf of all DFW metalheads when I say, 'Thanks for the inspiration and memories, Mike! You will not be forgotten.'
"Rest in peace."
FROM THE RAIL CLUB: (FORTWORTH, TEXAS, USA):
Tonight we lost the greatest guitarist i've ever seen and one of the greatest guy's i've ever known, my heart goes out to his wife and two little children and to Bruce, Casey and Harden, it's such a tragedy, i'm heart broken, everybody tried their best to save him it just wasn't meant to be. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, The Rail will never be the same, we love you and will miss you forever R.I.P. Mike!! Buster
R.I.P. MIKE SCACCIA
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-
Posts
![[Valid RSS]](http://www.blogger.com/valid-rss-rogers.png "Validate my RSS feed")
