R.I.P Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan (1981-2009)

James “Jimmy” Owen Sullivan was born on February 9th, 1981 and died on December 28, 2009. Jimmy nicknamed himself “The Reverend Bartholomew Plague” for his stage name but it was shortened to just “The Rev”. Jimmy grew up and lived in Orange County, CA and was best known as the drummer and founding member of Avenged Sevenfold. He was also the vocalist, songwriter, and pianist for the band. At the second annual Revolver Golden God Awards, Jimmy won the award for Best Drummer, but he passed away before he was able to accept the award; his family and Avenged Sevenfold accepted the reward on his behalf. In and Ultimate Guitar online reader’s poll of the “Top Ten Greatest Drummers of All Time”, The Rev made the list at number eight, placing higher than Bill Ward from Black Sabbath and just under Keith Moon from The Who.

Jimmy was found dead in his home in Huntington Beach on December 28, 2009. Jimmy had died from a mixture of Oxycodone, oxymorphone, diazepam, nordiazepam, and alcohol. That day was a bleak day for Avenged Sevenfold and their fans, as they lost their best friend, and we lost a hero. On this day I lost my hero. Something that I will never forget as long as I live. On January 6, 2010, a private funeral was held for Jimmy and he was buried in Huntington Beach, California. Avenged Sevenfold released the CD “Nightmare”, that they had begun working on before his death, in his honor, which included a song that had been written by his band mate (and childhood friend) Brian Haner Jr., or known as Synyster Gates.

This man’s legend will always live on. Every concert when they are onstage they take a moment and tell him how much they miss him, explain to the crowd that losing a best friend hurts, telling them to hang onto their friends and cherish all the time that they have with them. I believe that they are right when it comes to that. You should always cherish the time that you have with your friends and Jimmy was a perfect example of that for the members of Avenged Sevenfold. He was truly their best friend and he has been sadly missed for almost 5 years now. Rest in peace, Jimmy. May your memory strike the hearts of many to come and may those who remember you carry on your legacy for years to come.