Mike Portnoy shared on Instagram that he lost his sister shortly before the Dream Theater concert.
“Tonight in Zagreb Croatia was one of the hardest shows I’ve ever had to play,” the drummer wrote in his post’s caption. “About 30 minutes before showtime, I received a call from my brother that my loving sister Samantha Leone Cattaneo had just passed away.”
Portnoy discussed his sister’s battle with illness: “My sister had been battling Cancer all year and the last few days she took a turn for the worse…it’s been a devastating couple of days for me and my family knowing the inevitable was coming…”
Despite the emotional challenge, the show continued, with James dedicating ‘The Spirit Carries On’ to her. “This picture is from tonight…those lights in the air were for Sam…I wept like a baby the entire time (John even came and sat beside me at my kit for the ending solo which meant so much to me…),” he added.
“My sister was always one of DT’s biggest fans & supporters and us reuniting meant sooooooo much to her,” Mike revealed. “She wanted so badly to be in London but her health had declined so quickly that it was impossible for her to travel. But she told me she watched some videos of the show online in the hospital and I know how happy it made her.”
The musician concluded, “I will be thinking of her each and every night on stage throughout this tour when we play ‘The Spirit Carries On,’ knowing that she now gets to watch every show, every night, everywhere. I love you, Sis.”
Dream Theater had their first concert with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20 at the O2 Arena in London. Mike co-founded Dream Theater in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. He played on 10 Dream Theater albums over 20 years before leaving the band in 2010.
Portnoy returned to Dream Theater in October 2023 after Mike Mangini replaced him. “I’ll just sum it up by saying it was one of the most incredible evenings in my life!” Mike said after the first show. “Thank you London and all of the amazing fans that travelled from all over the world to join us for this reunion & celebration and to kick off our 40th Anniversary Tour!! So excited to do this again night after night for all of you around the world!”
Dream Theater will perform in Budapest, Hungary, on November 1, and then in Prague, Czechia, on November 2.
