A year after Chris Garza came across Mitch Lucker’s performance in their high school days, Lucker joined Suicide Silence and released three albums with them. But, following the release of their third album, ‘The Black Crown,’ the singer got into a motorcycle accident on October 31, 2012.
Paramedics took the Suicide Silence vocalist, thrown from his Harley Davidson upon the crash, to UC Irvine Medical Center, where he lost his life the next day. His bandmates announced his death on Facebook by writing:
“There’s no easy way to say this. Mitch passed away earlier this morning from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident. This is completely devastating to all of us, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family. He will be forever in our hearts.”
Garza had a chat about his future in Suicide Silence with Lucker a week before receiving his death news from his manager. With that, he went to the hospital, where the singer’s wife, Jolie, revealed that her husband had been drinking before going for a motor ride that evening.
According to the reports, Lucker lost control of his Harley Davidson shortly after hitting the road and crashed a pole on Main Street, close to his home. Then, around 6 a.m. on November 1, 2012, he passed away at the hospital due to internal bleeding, which Garza later talked about by saying:
“One moment, I’m hanging out with Mitch, laughing and being stupid kids; the next week, I’m seeing him fight for his life. And a couple of hours after that, I see him pass away in front of me.”
On the night of Lucker’s death, fans held a candlelight vigil for him, and a few weeks later, the Suicide Silence members arranged a gig named ‘Ending Is The Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show’ to pay tribute to their late bandmate.
The show took place at the Fox Theater on December 21 and included a line-up of musicians like Max Cavalera and Robb Flynn. Its earnings went to the education funds of Lucker’s daughter, while the band continued to support her through the years by founding the Kenadee Lucker Education Fund.