James "The Rev" Owen Sullivan

James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009), more commonly known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer and founding member for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The Rev was critically acclaimed for his work on the Avenged Sevenfold albums Waking the Fallen and City of Evil. He was also the lead vocalist/pianist in Pinkly Smooth, a side project where he was known by the name Rathead, with fellow Avenged Sevenfold member and childhood best friend, guitarist Synyster Gates, and he was the drummer for Suburban Legends from 1998 to 1999.

James "The Rev" Owen Sullivan

CARRER

Sullivan grew up and lived in Orange County, CA. He received his first pair of drum sticks at the age of four and own drum set at the age of ten. In high school, he started playing in bands. Before leaving to join Avenged Sevenfold as one of the band's founding members, Sullivan was the drummer for the third wave ska band Suburban Legends. At the age of eighteen he recorded his first album with Avenged Sevenfold titled Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. His early influences included Frank Zappa and King Crimson. The Rev said in a Modern Drummer Magazine interview that "I was raised on that stuff as much as rock and metal.

Later in life he was influenced by drummers Vinnie Paul, Mike Portnoy, Dave Lombardo, Lars Ulrich, and Terry Bozzio. He even had a "visual influence", Tommy Lee, on which he commented that "I never thought I'd have one of those." Sullivan had a signature ability called 'the double-ride thing', "just for lack of a better definition". 'the double-ride thing' is a technique that can be heard on tracks such as "Almost Easy", "Critical Acclaim", "Crossroads", and "Dancing Dead" in which Sullivan doubles up at a fast tempo between the double bass and ride cymbals.

The Rev was also a vocalist, songwriter, and pianist for Avenged Sevenfold. His piano-playing can be heard on the tracks "Seize the Day", "Fiction", "Save Me" and "Warmness on the Soul". His vocals are featured in Avenged Sevenfold's "A Little Piece of Heaven", "Brompton Cocktail", "Critical Acclaim", "Crossroads", "Gunslinger", "Lost", "Scream", "Afterlife", "Save Me", "Eternal Rest", "Flash of The Blade", "Strength of the World", "Bat Country", "Almost Easy" and "Fiction". He also wrote the songs "Almost Easy", "A Little Piece of Heaven", "Afterlife", "Fiction", "Welcome to the Family," the piano part of "Save Me", and "Demons".

Avenged Sevenfold also released a demo version of Nightmare, featuring The Rev on an electric drumset and some vocals of his.

At the second annual Revolver Golden God Awards, The Rev won the award for Best Drummer. His family members and Avenged Sevenfold received the honor on his behalf.

In an Ultimate Guitar online reader's poll of the "Top Ten Greatest Drummers of All Time", The Rev made the list at #8, placing higher than Bill Ward (Black Sabbath), and underneath Keith Moon (The Who).

The Rev (Live in The LBC)

DEATH

The Rev was found dead in his Huntington Beach home on December 28, 2009. Police ruled out foul play and noted his death appeared to be from natural causes. An autopsy performed on December 30, 2009 was inconclusive, but toxicology results revealed to the public in June that he died from an overdose of Oxycodone (Percocet), oxymorphone (a metabolite of oxycodone), diazepam (Valium), nordiazepam (a metabolite of diazepam) and alcohol. The coroner noted cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) as a "significant condition" that may have played a role in Sullivan's death.

On January 6, 2010, a private funeral was held for Sullivan, and then he was buried in Huntington Beach, California. Shortly after his death, Avenged Sevenfold dedicated their fifth studio album Nightmare (released that same year) to him, as well as several songs, including "So Far Away", which had been written by band mate (and childhood friend) Synyster Gates; and "Fiction", which was the last song written by The Rev himself (finished by the band later), three days prior to his death. M. Shadows and Synyster Gates have stated in an interview to Hard Drive Radio:

“ [...]The eeriest thing about it is there is a song on the album called "Fiction" (a nickname The Rev gave himself) which started out with the title "Death". And it was the last song The Rev wrote for the album, and when he handed it in, he said, 'That's it, that's the last song for this record'. And then, three days later, he died." ”

His drum kit is now on display at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.[citation needed] His kit from the 2008 "Taste of Chaos" tour is on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The Rev's Graveyard

EQUIPMENT

After signing to Warner Bros. Records in 2004, The Rev signed with DW Drums and Sabian cymbals. He originally used the Pacific Drum Percussion (PDP) 805 kit, of which he had a custom signature kit, but later, in 2008, used a full DW Collector's Series Drum set. He used a wide variety of Sabian cymbals, as well as Evans drum heads and Pro-Mark sticks.

The Rev's Drum Set at LBC Concert

DISCOGRAPHY

With Suburban Legends

-Origin Edition (1999)

With Pinkly Smooth

-Unfortunate Snort (2001)

With Avenged Sevenfold

-Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001)

-Waking the Fallen (2003)

-City of Evil (2005)

-Avenged Sevenfold (2007)

-Nightmare (2010)

TRIBUTE TO THE REV
The grief felt by the personnel of Avenged Sevenfold is in the death of their drummer and friend , The Rev . For that they simultaneously make tattoo their bodies with everything related to The Rev . Synyster Gates ( lead guitar ) make tattoo on his chest with writing forever , and Zacky Vengeance ( guitar Rythem ) do it in the left neck . Jhonny Christ ( bass ) and M.Shadows ( vocals ) make a tattoo The rev at "Death Bat" version in the chest and the back of the right hand.
In addition , Synyster Gates who have been friends since childhood with The Rev. dedicate the song is titled " So Far Away " for his friend who had a song dedicated to his grandmother 's wish before the death of the rev change his mind . The song is titled " Victim " and " Nightmare " is also dedicated to The Rev where the " Victim " which tells the story of the funeral of The Rev. and " Nightmare " which describes the death of The Rev is a nightmare .

Avenged Sevenfold's latest album is titled " Hail to the King " are also fully dedicated to The Rev and dubbed as " The Rev 's Legacy " which has been officially announced Avenged Sevenfold drummer The Rev ie replacement Arin Ilejay .

Tattoos Tribute to The Rev

Avenged Sevenfold with Arin Ilejay

And this is a song made by The Rev for three years and recently completed three days before his death:

AFENGED SEVENFOLD - FICTION

Intro :

e|–8-7-8————|

b|——–9-5-8-9-8–|

g|——————-|

d|——————-|

a|——————-|

e|——————-|

C

Now I think I understand

F

How this world can overcome a man

C

Like a friend we saw it through

F

In the end I gave my life for you

C

Gave you all I had to give

F

Found a place for me to rest my head

C

While I may be hard to find

F

Heard there’s peace just on the other side

Bridge :

0-0-0—-0—-|

1-0-1—-1—-|

0-0-0-0–0-1-0|

2-2-2–2-2—-|

3-3-3—-3—-|

————–|

Chorus :

F

Not that I could

C

Or that I would

F

Let it burn

C

Under my skin

F

Let it burn

(repeat piano intro a couple of times)

C

Left this life to set me free

F

Took a piece of you inside of me

C

All this hurt can finally fade

F

Promise me you’ll never feel afraid

(Pre-Chorus Tune)

0-0-0—-0—-

1-0-1—-1—-

0-0-0-0–0-1-0

2-2-2–2-2—-

3-3-3—-3—-

————–

(Chorus)

F

Not that I could

C

Or that I would

F

Let it burn

C

Under my skin

F

Let it burn

C                      G

I hope it’s worth it, here on the highway, yeah

Am                           F

I know you’ll find your own way when I’m not with you

C                   G

So tell everybody, the ones who walk beside me, yeah

Dm                           G

I hope you’ll find your own way when I’m not with you tonight

C                     G

I hope it’s worth it, what’s left behind me, yeah

Am                            F

I know you’ll find your own way when I’m not with you

C                  G

So tell everybody, the ones who walk beside me, yeah

Dm                           G

I know you’ll find your own way when I’m not with you tonight

End on C