Late Ministry Guitarist Mike Scaccia Remembered by Frontman Al Jourgensen

As we reported earlier today, Ministry guitarist Mike Scaccia collapsed onstage last night (Dec. 22) while playing with his other band Rigor Mortis and passed away at the age of 47 shortly thereafter. In honor of his fallen bandmate, Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen has posted a eulogy on the band's Facebook page.

Scaccia joined Ministry as a touring member in 1989 before becoming a permanent member of the band for their 1992 album 'Psalm 69' and their 1996 album 'Filth Pig.' He left the band in 1996 but rejoined the group to appear on a couple of Ministry's most recent albums, including 2012's 'Relapse.' Scaccia also played in Jourgensen's other bands Revolting Cocks and Buck Satan & the 666 Shooters.

In his Facebook posting, Jourgensen remembers Scaccia as "the best guitar player in the history of music" and asks fans to pray for Scaccia's wife Jenny and their children. His entire post reads as follows:

I JUST LOST MY LIL' BROTHER AND MY BEST FRIEND - THE 13TH PLANET COMPOUND IS DEVASTATED,COMPLETELY IN SHOCK AND SHATTERED. 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!
GET TO KNOW HIS LEAD PARTS - FOR THEY ARE IN THE PANTHEON OF MUSIC! UNFORTUNATELY, MOST OF YOU DIDN'T GET TO KNOW MIKEY'S SOUL -WHICH IS IN THE PANTHEON OF HUMANITY. HE IS MY HERO, MY FRIEND AND MY IDOL. MIKEY WAS ALWAYS BESIDE ME - MY RIGHT HAND MAN - THROUGH THICK AND THIN, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY AND THE BEAUTIFUL.
REST IN PEACE MY BROTHER, MY FRIEND, MY HEART. PLEASE PRAY FOR MIKE SCACCIA AND JENNY, HIS WIFE AND THEIR CHILDREN, AND HIS FAMILY.....AL

Below is a video of Ministry (with Scaccia) performing their classic song 'Just One Fix' at the 2006 Wacken Festival with Slipknot's Joey Jordison on drums.

Ministry Perform 'Just One Fix' at 2006 Wacken Festival