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MINISTRY, RIGOR MORTIS Guitarist MIKE SCACCIA Dead At 47

December 23, 2012

Guitarist Mike Scaccia, who is best known for his work with MINISTRY, RIGOR MORTIS and the REVOLTING COCKS, died last night (Saturday, December 22) of a sudden heart attack brought on by a heart disease (official cause of death: atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease),according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office. Officials ruled it a natural death. He was 47 years old.

Scaccia was performing with RIGOR MORTIS at The Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas at the 50th-birthday celebration for RIGOR MORTIS singer Bruce Corbitt when the frontman reportedly asked for strobe lights to be turned off moments before the guitarist collapsed onstage and could not be revived. He was taken to the emergency room at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, where he was pronounced dead at 12:26 a.m., according to the medical examiner.

Corbitt stated via Facebook: "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."

Said MINISTRY in a statement: "Michael Ralph Scaccia... Our dearest friend. We love you. We miss you. God rest your precious soul. We cannot fathom this loss."

In Scaccia's last Facebook update, he wrote, "These next 2 shows is what I worked my whole life for... Look out Mother Fuckers...hahha"

His daughter Sarah posted a message on his Facebook page at 3 a.m. Dallas time, saying, "I love you so much dad. I love you so much."

Mike is survived by his wife Jenny Rowen Scaccia, with whom he has two toddlers, and daughters Sarah Scaccia and Taarna Scaccia Hopkins.

According to a posting on the Facebook page of The Rail Club, "somebody stole a camera from upstairs that was recording the show when [the Scaccia incident] happened." The club management is asking "whoever took the camera" to call them "and save your ass a lot of grief!" The management adds: "How anyone could steal it with everything happening on stage?! What a fucking lowlife piece of shit!"

In 1989, Scaccia was asked by Al Jourgensen to join his band MINISTRY for their 1989-1990 "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" tour. Jourgensen was so impressed by Scaccia's talents that he included him into the band full time. Scaccia left RIGOR MORTIS in 1991 and went on to record and tour for MINISTRY's next album, the platinum-selling smash "Psalm 69" throughout 1992. He also recorded MINISTRY's follow-up effort, "Filth Pig", before leaving the band in 1996.

In early 2003, Scaccia reformed RIGOR MORTIS and around the same time rejoined MINISTRY on the road in support of their "Animositisomina" album. He left MINISTRY again in 2006 but rejoined Jourgensen in the studio and on the road in support of the band's latest album, "Relapse".

Video below: Mike Scaccia interviewed before MINISTRY's July 20, 2012 concert in London, England

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