Died On This Date (December 23, 2012) Mike Scaccia / Guitarist For Rigor Mortis & Ministry
themusicsover Mike Scaccia
June 14, 1965 – December 23, 2012
Mike Scaccia was a metal guitarist who is best remembered for his work with both Ministry and Rigor Mortis. Born in New York, Scaccia co-founded Rigor Mortis with high school friends Harden Harrison and Casey Orr in 1983. After relocating to Dallas, Texas, the band more-or-less introduced thrash metal to the region. Within a few years, the band capitalized on the record industry’s interest in the genre and scored a deal with Capitol Records who released their self-titled debut in 1988. Unceremoniously dropped by Capitol not long after, the band found a longer-lasting home with Metal Blade before Scaccia went on to tour with Ministry in 1989. He officially left Rigor Mortis in 1991 and became a full-fledged member of Ministry in time to play on their classic, Psalm 69 album which has sold over a million copies. He left the Ministry in 1996 and reformed Rigor Mortis in 2003, continuing to perform and record with them until the time of his death. He also went back to work with Ministry and played with Revolting Cocks throughout. While performing with Rigor Mortis in Fort Worth, Texas on December 23, 2012, Mike Sciaccia collapsed and died on stage apparently due to a seizure brought on by strobe lighting in the venue. He was 47.
Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.
What You Should Own
Lee Dorman was a bassist for San Diego psychedelic rock band, Iron Butterfly. Joining about a year after they formed in 1966, Dorman played on their classic second album, 1968’s In-A-Gadda-De-Vida which many consider the birth of heavy metal. The album went on to sell over 30 million copies while its 17-minute epic single of the same name is considered a rock music milestone and continues to get heavy airplay on classic rock stations as well as on film and TV to this day. Iron Butterfly broke up in 1971 but reunited in 1974 with Dorman coming back into the fold in 1977. He continued on-and-off with the group’s various incarnations up through his final years. During breaks from Iron Butterfly, Dorman was a part of Captain Beyond who released a handful of rock albums through the ’70s. On December 21, 2012, Lee Dorman’s body was found dead in a car. Early reports indicated that police did not suspect foul play and that it was presumed he died while en route to a doctor’s appointment. He was 70 years old.
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Willie Ackerman was a Nashville based drummer who, over a career that stretched from 1957 through the ’80s, recorded or performed live with the likes of Willie Nelson, 
