Long-running lead vocalist for San Francisco heavy metal band Metal Church, Mike Howe died this morning, July 26th at the age of 55. A cause of death has not been made public as of this posting.
The band broke the news this evening, they said:
“It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California. We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time.”
Mike Howe was an active member in Metal Church from 1988-1995 and again from 2015-2021. Howe also played in Heretic from 1987-1988 and in Snair in 1988.
See a few tributes below. RIP.
So sad to hear of the untimely passing of Mike Howe (centered) of @metalchurchis1. I finally met him for the first time this photo was taken in Vegas 04/19. Condolences to his family, friends and fans! pic.twitter.com/C9yIx0iH2J
— Jeff Scott Soto (@jeffscottsoto) July 27, 2021
I was a huge Metal Church fan growing up, Blessing in Disguise is an absolute classic (and I was at the store to buy The Human Factor the day it came out, too). RIP Mike Howe
— Patrick (@DawGoneMetal) July 27, 2021
RIP my sweet friend. I have no words for this loss. Love and respect to you always. #mikehowe #metalchurch #legend4ever pic.twitter.com/CfZczC1g4h
— Todd La Torre (@ToddLaTorre) July 27, 2021
Just got the news that Mike Howe from @metalchurchis1 passed away.
Had the pleasure to see them at @Wacken 2016 and they kicked ass.
Fuck off 2021 and R.I.P. Mike Howehttps://t.co/o16eMRAihG— DeadlyRivfader (@DRivfader) July 27, 2021
We are saddened by the loss of Metal Church frontman Mike Howe who passed away earlier today. We interviewed Mike Howe several times over the years & were lucky enough to catch them live in Australia on their first tour in 2019. R.I.P.
Photo Credit: Adam Sivewright, Sydney 2019 pic.twitter.com/PDNiLG2gkp
— TheRockpit.net (@TheRockpit_net) July 27, 2021
As somebody who listened to Mike Howe’s series of Metal Church records, hearing about his passing from @queensryche’s Instagram just broke my heart folks. #RIPMikeHowe #Metal #HeavyMetal #ThrashMetal https://t.co/CFUxO2JBwM
— G.R.S. Jackson #BLM (@GRSJacksonReal) July 27, 2021
Sad news to hear about Mike Howe today. RIP to one of my favorite metal voices ever. pic.twitter.com/9EaMcUKFtV
— Tony Passarella (@PassarellaTony) July 27, 2021
Just heard the news about @metalchurchis1 frontman Mike Howe passing away. The man is a legend, he leaves a huge hole in the metal world. #RIPMike
— Hard Rock Nights (@hardrocknights) July 27, 2021
RIP Mike Howe, one of the nicest dudes who's ever come thru my work. he saw me carrying a big folding table for their hospitality and he jumped up and ran over to help. I tell that story all the time because he's one of the first artists who treated me, working floor, as human. pic.twitter.com/pghlyBiUXp
— Sick Things™ (@cuteordeath) July 27, 2021
