TAMPA, Florida (CelebrityAccess) — Heavy metal guitarist Ralph Santolla, who performed with Deicide and Sebastian Bach, died on June 6th in Tampa, Florida. He was 48.
According to metal music news site Blabbermouth, Santollo was hospitalized after he suffered a heart attack and falling into a coma on May 30th. He was taken off of life support and died late Wednesday night.
“NOW It is official: I (and many other people) just lost my best friend, as well as one of the most underrated guitarists in all history,” Santollo’s friends Bill Hudson said in a social media post. “He passed away peacefully with about 10 of his closest friends and family around him (myself included).”
“Please keep his mother Sue Santolla-Rocha, his son Dorian Angelo Santolla and all the rest of us in your thoughts,” he added.
Santollo played with numerous bands over the course of his career, including Death, with whom he toured but did not record, Deicide, Iced Earth, Obituary, Sebastian Bach.
He released several solo albums, including 2002’s “Shaolin Monks in the Temple of Metal” and “Requiem for Hope” in 2007.
