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Artist News
Former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza dies after collapsing on stage
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 23 May 2016
Drummer Nick Menza, best known for his time with Megadeth in the 1990s, died this weekend, aged 51, after collapsing on stage.
Menza was performing with his current band Ohm when he collapsed three songs into the outfit’s set at a venue in California. Paramedics were unable to revive the musician once they were on the scene. The band’s manager Steve Bauer later told CNN: “The group’s bassist texted me last night after it happened. We are all still in shock”.
Paying tribute on Facebook, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine said that the words “shocked, devastated, and saddened don’t begin to describe my feelings”.
He continued: “Originally a tech for the band, Nick soon displayed such talent and personality, it didn’t take long for us to realise he belonged on stage with us, behind the kit. As a player, Nick had a very powerful jazzy flair, unpredictable and always entertaining. And as great a drummer as he was, the time spent with him as a person, a bandmate, and a friend was even more fun”.
On his contacts with Menza following the drummer’s departure from Megadeth in 1998, Mustaine added: “There were several times we discussed him coming back to the band, but for various reasons it never came together. We’ve been in touch all along, he had come out to our shows recently, and he had remained a great friend, a true professional and a larger than life personality”.
