Ex-Megadeth drummer Nick Menza dead after collapsing on stage
Nick Menza, a drummer who spent most of the '90s playing with Megadeth, died on May 21 after he collapsed on stage during a performance with his band, Ohm. He was 51.
A cause of death hasn't been released, but early reports suggested heart failure.
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Menza reportedly collapsed during a performance at the Los Angeles club The Baked Potato, where the band often played. He joined the rock/fusion group in 2015, uniting with another Megadeth alum in Ohm founder Chris Poland.
Menza took over as Megadeth's drummer after Chuck Behler was fired in 1988. Although he "officially" joined the band in 1989, he'd been touring as Behler's drum technician and had performed on stage with the group prior to that.
The following year, Menza was invited to join in on the recording of Megadeth's fourth studio album, Rust in Peace. This turned out to be the group's mainstream breakout, propelled by a new lineup that included both Menza and guitarist Marty Friedman.
Menza stuck around through four studio albums, contributing to Rust, Youthanasia (1992), Countdown to Extinction (1994) and Cryptic Writings (1997).
A Facebook post from friend Allen Hall offers a remembrance of Menza's life and work.
Another Facebook post from friend J. Marshall Craig -- who is handling the family's public pronouncements in the wake of Nick's death -- speaks of some of the plans that were in the works, including an upcoming book and a comic based on '90s-era Megadeth.
It's not clear what the status on any of Menza's ongoing work is now that he's gone, but Craig is certain the musician left the world in exactly the place he'd want to be.
"He died last night on stage in L.A. doing what he loved," Craig wrote.
Menza is survived by his parents, Don and Rose, and by his two sons, Dante and Nicholas.
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Topics Music
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
