James Owen Sullivan ( February 9, 1981 - December 28, 2009 [2] ) is an American musician known by the stage name The Rev , who has worked with bands Avenged Sevenfold , Pinkly Smooth and Suburban Legends.
| Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| basic information | |
| Birth name | James Owen Sullivan |
| Date of Birth | February 9, 1981 |
| Place of Birth | Huntington Beach , Orange County , California , USA |
| Date of death | December 28, 2009 (28 years old) |
| A place of death | Huntington Beach , Orange County, California, USA |
| Buried | |
| A country | |
| Professions | , , , , |
| Years of activity | 1999 - 2009 |
| Instruments | drums , guitar , bass , piano , |
| Genres | heavy metal , hard rock , NWOAHM , metalcore , ska punk , avant-garde metal |
| Aliases | The Rev, The Reverend Tholomew Plague, Rathead |
| Collectives | Avenged Sevenfold , Pinkly Smooth , Suburban Legends |
| Labels | Warner bros , Good Life Recordings , Hopeless , Bucktan |
| avengedsevenfold.com | |
Content
- 1 Biography
- 1.1 The early period (1981-1999). Suburban legends
- 1.2 The Period of Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (1999-2003). Avenged sevenfold
- 1.3 Period Unfortunate Snort (2001-2002). Pinkly smooth
- 1.4 Period Waking the Fallen (2003-2005)
- 1.5 Period City of Evil (2005-2007)
- 1.6 Avenged Sevenfold album period (2007-2009)
- 1.7 Death
- 1.8 Nightmare Period (2009—2010)
- 2 notes
Biography
The early period (1981-1999). Suburban Legends
Born in Huntington Beach ( USA , California ). He began taking his first drum lessons at 10, and received his first drum kit at 11 [3] . Sullivan combined the study of the basics of the game at the music school with the study of various musical styles - thrash metal , prog-rock , funk and others [4] . From the sixth to the eighth grade, he played in an ensemble of percussion instruments [4] , while playing with various punk bands “in order to attract girls”.
In 1999, Sullivan, as part of the ska band Suburban Legends, released the album "Origin Edition" and after some time left the band to join Avenged Sevenfold . It was in the composition of Avenged Sevenfold that his nickname “ The Rev ” was born.
The period of Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (1999-2003). Avenged Sevenfold
As part of Avenged Sevenfold, Sullivan recorded and released two demos (in 1999 and 2000), after which he began recording the band's first full-length album. The album, entitled Sounding the Seventh Trumpet , designed in the style of a mixture of punk and metalcore , was released on January 31, 2001 and received rather encouraging reviews from critics and listeners. At concerts, Sullivan, in addition to playing drums, played the role of backing vocalist.
In the summer of the same year, Sullivan together with Avenged Sevenfold colleague Sinister Gates and former Ballistico musicians created the Pinkly Smooth band, which existed as a side project .
Unfortunate Snort Period (2001-2002). Pinkly Smooth
Speaking as a keyboardist and vocalist with Pinkly Smooth , Sullivan took on the pseudonym “ Rathead ”. In 2002, the group released the album Unfortunate Snort - a bright and original example of avant-garde metal . After the release of the album, the group went on indefinite leave due to the fact that Sullivan and Gates preferred the gaining momentum Avenged Sevenfold .
Waking the Fallen Period (2003-2005)
On August 26, 2003, Sullivan as part of Avenged Sevenfold released the album Waking the Fallen , marking a transition to a darker metalcore sound and even greater success - the group ended up on the Billboard chart and took part in various prestigious tours.
City of Evil Period (2005-2007)
On June 7, 2005, Sullivan and Avenged Sevenfold released the new City of Evil album, written in a different style from the previous ones - NWOAHM , which brought the group a stunning success, including commercial. In the first week of sales, more than 30 thousand copies were sold [5] . Four weeks before the recording of the album, Sullivan received a broken arm, which took six weeks to treat, so he had to compose the drum parts for this album, holding one stick with two fingers instead of a normal grip [3] .
Avenged Sevenfold Album Period (2007-2009)
October 30, 2007 the group released the self-titled album - Avenged Sevenfold . The album was a new milestone in the development of Sullivan as a musician - out of 10 songs on the album he wrote 4 (“Almost Easy”, “Afterlife”, “Brompton Cocktail” and “A Little Piece of Heaven”) and participated in the writing of all the others, as well as recorded keyboard parts for several songs. In addition, in the songs “Critical Acclaim”, “Afterlife” and “A Little Piece of Heaven”, Sullivan performed the lead vocals, and for others recorded backing vocals. The first week of sales brought the result in the form of 90 thousand copies sold.
On September 16, 2008, Avenged Sevenfold released a live DVD and a b-side collection entitled Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough , consisting of a DVD recording of the band's hometown concert at the Long Beach Arena and a CD with cover versions and songs recorded while working on the Avenged Sevenfold album but not included in it. Sullivan's vocals (in the song “Crossroads”), as well as his keyboard playing, sounded in the collection.
Death
On December 28, 2009, Sullivan was found dead in his home in Huntington Beach . The initial autopsy results were controversial and failed. Avenged Sevenfold posted the following message on their official website:
With incredible sadness and heaviness in our hearts today, we inform you about the departure of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the best drummers in the world, but, more importantly, he was our best friend and brother. Our attention and our prayers are directed to the Jimmy family, and we hope that you will not bother them during this difficult time.
Jimmy, you are forever in our hearts.
We love you.Original textIt is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy's family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time.Jimmy you are forever in our hearts.
We love you.- M Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Christ [2]
Sullivan's funeral took place on January 6, 2010. The causes of Sullivan's death were announced on June 10, 2010 [6] . According to the coroner's conclusion, traces of oxycodone , oxymorphone , diazepam , nordiazepam and alcohol were found in the musician's body. The coroner also noted an increased heart size - cardiomegaly, which, in his opinion, could play a role in the death of Sullivan.
Nightmare Period (2009—2010)
Sullivan died a few days before the recording of the fifth studio album Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare , leaving the group with rough ideas and drafts. According to the members of the group, about 60% of the album’s music was written by Sullivan, and the songs “Fiction” and “Save Me” are entirely his property [7] . In addition, “Fiction” is the last song in which Sullivan’s vocals and keyboards were sounded.
For drafts, Sullivan recorded his parts on an electronic drum set, but the sound quality of these records did not allow them to be used for the album. Therefore, Avenged Sevenfold invited the many-year-old idol Sullivan Mike Portnoy to bring the drafts to life.
The album Nightmare was released on July 27, 2010.
Notes
- ↑ https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Sullivan,_Owen_(DNB00)
- ↑ 1 2 Drummer Avenged Sevenfold away . AllForMusic.ORG (2010). Archived January 7, 2011.
- ↑ 1 2 James "The Rev" Sullivan: Metal Missionary . Modern Drummer (December 1, 2009). Archived on April 2, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 Andrew Nusca. Jimmy Sullivan: Revenge Of Avenged Sevenfold DRUM! Magazine (November 2007). Archived on April 2, 2012.
- ↑ Avenged Sevenfold's "City Of Evil" Unleashed June 7 . Marketwired News . Burbank, CA: Market Wire (June 22, 2005). Date of treatment February 18, 2018. Archived on April 2, 2012.
- ↑ The cause of death of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan Is announced . AllForMusic.ORG (2010). Archived January 7, 2011.
- ↑ Amy Kelly. Avenged Sevenfold: The Rev's Passing Steered Album's Lyrical Direction . Ultimate-Guitar.Com (July 13, 2010). - Interview. Archived on April 2, 2012.