Died On This Date (December 28, 2009) James “The Rev” Sullivan / Avenged Sevenfold
The Rev (Born James Sullivan)
February 10, 1981 – December 28, 2009
James Sullivan was a multi-instrumentalist who went by “The Rev” and played drums for popular metalcore band, Avenged Sevenfold. He also moonlighted as the lead singer of Pinkly Smooth, another metal band. Formed in 1999 with Sullivan as a founding member, Avenged Sevenfold quickly built a loyal fanbase thanks in part to Sullivan’s acclaimed drumming. The band signed with Warner Bros. Records in 2005 who shortly thereafter released City of Evil, an album that debuted in the top 30 and went on to sell over a 1.5 million copies worldwide. The band soon found themselves on the Ozzfest tour, appearing on MTV’s popular Total Request Live program, and receiving the Best New Artist award at the MTV Video Music Awards. On December 28, 2009, age 28, was found dead in his home of what is believed to have been an accidental overdose.