Obituary: Honoring Mike Schiavone, “A legend.”

Michael J. Schiavone (1982-2022), fondly referred to as Mike or Mikey, passed away unexpectedly on February 28, 2022. The obituary written for his funeral services describes music as “his world,” a point reflected in his ever-present and positive impact on the music community in RI. The first band he belonged to was called Demon Spawn. Schiavone went on to become a member of many MA and CT bands, eventually co-founding Providence-based Slurp.  

Rory Quinn, his Slurp co-founder, described him as “the heart and soul of the Providence music scene, always out showing so much love to anyone willing to step on stage. He was the leader and captain of our band, an amazing songwriter and musician whose legacy will live on for a long time to come.” 

Empire Guitars manager Michael Samos worked with Schiavone for just shy of ten years. “I came to know him as an incredibly talented guitarist who deeply loved sharing his knowledge with others, a truly kind human being. It’s amazing how many lives he has touched and how many people will carry their memories of him into the future.” 

Nick Iddon, a drummer in several local bands, said of his friend, “He was one of the most talented players I’ve ever known, but an even better friend. I’ll spend the rest of my days missing and celebrating him! His smile was biggest when watching his friends’ shows and when we were playing funk together! Love you tons Mikey.” 

If you’d like to listen to Schiavone’s last recording, where he played the drums and created music magic, go to: https://blu3katrecords.wordpress.com

Donations for this song will go to the Mike Schiavone Foundation (to send starter guitars to school music departments), to The Parlour, and to Blu3Kat Records for the finalization of his unreleased tracks and albums. 

As the sign at The Parlour says, may he “Rest in Power.”