Nick Menza (ex-Megadeth) passes away

Former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza has passed away at the age of 51. During a performance with OHM at The Baked Potato last night Saturday, May 21st Menza collapsed. According to a witness two patrons of the club performed CPR until EMS arrived, who continued to work on him for 25+ minutes. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. J. Marshall Craig, his biographer and friend, said of the incident:

“We ask for prayers for Nick’s family, his family, and especially his two sons and their mother, Teri.

He just spent nearly two weeks with the boys in the Pacific Northwest and was absolutely glowing. He was scheduled to fly to my home in Cape Cod tomorrow so that we could finish the comic-book version of the book we wrote on his life, MenzaLife, both of which were slated for release late next month. This morning we are all too numb to think about anything but Nick’s family.”

Nick’s manager Robert Bolger adds:

“Along with your prayers and wonderful thoughts and memories of this incredible man and musician, we ask taht fans respect his family’s need for privacy at this absolutely tragic time.”

His former bandmates in Megadeth and others have take to Twitter to express their shock at the news.

Menza appeared on six of Megadeth’s studio albums including Rust In Peace (1990), Countdown To Extinction (1992), and Youthanasia (1994). His other work includes appears on three of Marty Friedman’s efforts – Scenes (1992), Introduction (1994), and True Obsessions (1996) – a solo release under titled Life After Death (2002), and Reduced To Ashes (2006) with Greek thrashers Memorain.