Ministry Guitarist Mike Scaccia Dies Aged 47
Guitarist Mike Scaccia, known for his work with Ministry, Rigor Mortis and the Revolting Cocks, has died after suffering a seizure on stage. He was 47.
He was performing at the Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 22nd with Rigor Mortis, and collapsed during the show (according to ClassicRockMagazine report). He was taken to hospital while a band member is reported to have told fans: “It doesn’t look good.” He died soon afterwards.
The Fort Worth Star Telegram reports that Scaccia died of a sudden heart attack brought on by a heart disease.
Blabbermouth however, reports that Scaccia suffered a seizure after asking for strobe lights in the venue to be turned off.
Vocalist Bruce Corbitt, who’d put on the event to celebrate his 50th birthday, posted on Facebook (via NME):
“My brother is gone! The only reason I am who I am is because of this man. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t even be in a band. 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.”
Scaccia’s bandmate and lead singer of Ministry, Al Jourgensen, has also reacted to the sad news via Facebook yesterday. He wrote:
“I just lost my lil’ brother and my best friend… 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!”
The guitarist co-formed Rigor Mortis in 1983 and they released their acclaimed debut self-titled album six years later. He was invited to join Ministry as a touring member by mainman Al Jourgensen in 1990. The tour went so well that he joined the industrial metal pioneers permanently. Scaccia appeared on Ministry’s “Psalm 69” and “Filth Pig” albums before leaving the band.
He reformed Rigor Mortis in 2003 and went back to Ministry around the same time, where he’d remained since. He’d also performed with RevCo in recent years.
Earlier this year Scaccia discussed his relationship with Jourgensen, telling Westword:
“We’ve had our ups and downs together. We’ve lived through a really very long and intense heroin addiction together. We’ve survived it – we got out of it. We’re like brothers, and we have fought like brothers in the past. About four years ago, we decided no more of that dumb shit. We’re best friends, man; let’s write music together. I don’t even think we’ve had an argument for four years now.”
In the same interview he said he was looking forward to completing a new Rigor Mortis album. He was also involved in the Dusters, Blohole, Lard, The League Of Blind Woman and Buck Satan And The 666 Shooters. Gibson employed him to run guitar clinics across the world.