MEGADETH's DAVE MUSTAINE Reconnects With Sister After 20 Years

Dave Mustaine says that he finally reconnected with his long-estranged sister after not having any contact with her for two decades.

The 62-year-old MEGADETH leader shared his story on Wednesday (April 10) in honor of Siblings Day, a holiday recognized in parts of the United States and Canada that celebrates the relationship of brothers and sisters of all ages.

Mustaine took to his account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to write: "Sharing some words about family. In honor of #NationalSiblingsDay. Life's too short not to reach out to loved ones."

Detailing his surprise conversation with his sister, Dave said: "I just got a shocking Facetime video call from my sister Suzanne. Sadly, she is going to be leaving this earth in the next few days, as she is in the grasp of Parkinson's and dementia, and is starting to have her organ shut down. That was hard enough, but the fact that we haven't spoken in probably 20 years is even worse.

"Imagine my delight to get a Facetime video from her today," he continued. "Even though she can't speak anymore, I knew it was her. I just kept telling her how much I love her and I know she's going to be slipping out of this body and her spirit's going to be free soon.

"So bizarre national sibling day that I would hear from my sister that I haven't spoken to in so long, in the state of affairs she's currently dealing with, and the fact that even though she didn't want to have anything to do with me growing up because she was a Jehovah's Witness, I kept trying and imagine how happy I am to have seen her phone call today and not be a butt dial."

Mustaine had three older sisters, Michelle, Suzanne and Debbie, who were 18, 15, and 3, respectively, when he was born. Due to the significant age difference between Mustaine and his sisters, as a child he often thought of them as his aunts rather than sisters.

In his 2010 autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", Dave wrote about growing up in Los Angeles and being raised by his mother. His parents divorced when he was 4. His father was a "shadowy figure," who was not described fondly to him by his older sisters. Mustaine recalled anecdotes of "abuse and generally insane behavior perpetrated under the shroud of alcoholism."

In March 2020, Mustaine took to Instagram to share that Michelle had passed away. He wrote: "I was truly lucky to have a sister like her. Rest in peace, my dear Michelle." She had reportedly been battling an undisclosed ailment for a while.