Died On This Date (May 2, 2013) Jeff Hanneman/ Founding Guitarist For Slayer
themusicsover Jeff Hanneman
January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013
Jeff Hanneman was a founding guitarist for influential thrash metal band, Slayer. Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, the band quickly broke through and went on to sell upwards of 20 million albums. Slayer’s impact on thrash is such that the band, along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth are simply referred to as The Big Four. Born in Oakland, California, Hanneman eventually settled in Southern California where he initially took a shine to punk rock. By the early ’80s, Heanneman was taking note of metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, so when he ultimately joined forces with Kerry King to form Slayer, he helped introduce the fast aggression of punk to metal. Jeff Hanneman was 48 when he died of liver failure at a hospital near his home.
What You Should Own
Dani Crivelli was a rock drummer who once played behind Swiss metal band, Krokus. Born in Solothurn, Switzerland, Crivelli joined the band in 1987 and played on their 1988 release, Heart Attack. The album ultimate reached #87 on the US charts. Following the tour behind Heart Attack, the group splintered with Crivelli and a couple other members continuing on with a new lead singer. That incarnation was short-lived and failed to make any recordings. Prior to his run with Krokus, Crivelli played in two other Swiss bands, Killer and Ain’t Dead Yet. On April 21, 2013, it was announced that Dani Crivelli passed away earlier in the day. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Michael Sunden was the manager of Swedish glam metal band, Crashdiet. While watching the band play at a Nottingham venue, Rock City, Sunden apparently tripped and fell down some stairs. He reportedly hit his head on a wall which caused his death at the age of 45. Foul play was not suspected. Crashdiet, who released Savage Playground in January of 2013 was on a tour promoting the album. The band’s founding lead singer and guitarist, 
Chi Cheng was the founding bassist for California alt-metal band, Deftones. Formed in Sacramento in 1988, it didn’t take long for the band to build a loyal following and catch the ear of Madonna‘s label, Maverick Records. What followed was a series of albums that helped define the nu metal movement of the late ’90s/early 2000s. The band’s first trio of albums easily went platinum with Cheng playing on all three as well as their next two. In 2008, Cheng was in a serious automobile accident which left him in a coma. In 2010, he began showing signs of recovery after which he began undergoing additional operations and extensive rehabilitation. In early 2012, more signs of improvement surfaced and Cheng was allowed to go home from the hospital only to suffer a setback with pneumonia. On April 13, 2013, it was announced that Chi Cheng passed away earlier that day. Cause of death was not immediately released. He was 42.
Neil Smith was an early bassist for legendary Australian rock band, AC/DC. As the replacement for original bassist, Larry Van Kriedt in 1974, Smith was in the band for less than a year before being replaced by Rob Bailey. In 1979, Smith joined Rose Tattoo, another popular Australian hard rock band of the day, for a brief period. Neil Smith lost his battle with cancer on April 7, 2013.