New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Mike Scaccia, guitarist with heavy metal bands Rigor Mortis and Ministry, has died at the age of 47 after collapsing on stage during a live show in Texas.
Scaccia (June 14, 1965 - December 22, 2012) was born in Babylon, New York, U.S..
Scaccia's first band, Spectrum, was formed with high school friends Chuck and Chad Williams on guitar and bass and Baron Lane on vocals.
Rigor Mortis originally formed in 1983 when schoolmates Harden Harrison and Casey Orr met Mike Scaccia. The three shared a love for horror/gore flicks and extremely heavy music, and that recipe helped them create a truly unique form of speed metal that had never been heard before. Within five years they had virtually created the thrash metal scene in
Texas and landed a major label deal. In 1988, with Bruce Corbitt on vocals, Rigor Mortis released their self-titled debut album on Capitol Records.
In 1989, Mike 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. He then went on to record and tour for Ministry's next album, the platinum-selling smash Psalm 69 throughout 1992. He also played on their memorable Lollapalooza tour.
Throughout 1994-1995, recording began on Ministry's follow-up, Filth Pig. They relocated to Austin where sessions took place. He left the band right before the band's 1996 tour to support Filth Pig.
In early 2003, Rigor Mortis reformed in
Texas to ecstatic reviews. Scaccia was included in the lineup. Also at this time, a clean, sober Jourgensen again asked him to rejoin for touring their new album, Animositisomina. He agreed, and has been performing full-time with them since. He did, however, leave Ministry again in 2006, but has since then rejoined with Al Jourgensen in the studio to record their latest album Relapse which is scheduled to tour in the summer of 2012. Currently it has been confirmed that Mike had been working with all the original members of Rigor Mortis who are in the studio writing and recording their first album in 20 years, which is also scheduled to be produced by Al Jourgensen.
Mike Scaccia died on December 22, 2012 while onstage at the Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas; he was performing as part of the 50th birthday celebrations for Bruce Corbitt, the singer from Rigor Mortis. Although initial reports suggested a seizure possibly caused by the strobe lighting at the venue, the coroner indicated the cause of death to be "sudden heart attack brought on by heart disease".
