By Gil Kaufman & Kyle Anderson
The shocking news about the passing of Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy Sullivan — known to fans as the Rev — has hit the rock world exceptionally hard. While police have declared that there was no foul play involved in his passing, the initial autopsy was deemed "inconclusive," and it will be a few weeks before we find out what lead to his death.
Regardless, Avenged Sevenfold have an army of fans, industry friends and collaborators who have reached out in the Rev's memory. God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle issued a statement, in which he said, "I just wanted to send our deepest condolences on behalf of God Forbid to Avenged Sevenfold and Jimmy's family and close friends after news of his passing. God Forbid got to know Jimmy and the rest of the band when we took A7X out on tour in 2002 when they were a brand new band, and they've continued to treat us with warmth and respect over the years since their meteoric rise. This is a true tragedy, and he will be missed greatly. Love and respect."
The band Papa Roach posted this tribute on their Twitter page: "This is a sad day for rock and roll. RIP, Jimmy 'Rev' Sullivan. You will be greatly missed, my friend." Buckcherry followed suit, tweeting, "The Rev... You will be missed. Rest in peace, our brother from the road. The entire A7X family is in our thoughts." And, posting on AOL's Noisecreep, Shadows Fall singer Brian Fair wrote, "The Rev was truly one of a kind. No one threw it down quite like he did. He will be missed terribly. May he rest in peace."
Fans flooded Twitter, the band's official Web site, Facebook and MTV News offering up their sympathy and prayers. "Jimmy, you were an inspiration to many across the globe. You were one of a kind and as much as it breaks my heart to say this, A7X will never be the same without you," wrote Sham on yesterday's blog post. "Rest in peace, beautiful drummer boy. I'll always love you." Commenter James added, "He inspired me to play drums, I will never forget that. A7X will never be the same without one of the most skilled drummers I have ever seen. He was unique and taken away from the world way too soon."
The Facebook message announcing Sullivan's passing inspired over 11,000 comments, many of which focused on his bottomless well of skill. "The Rev was a sick drummer. Sounded like he had eight arms!" wrote Teresa Doucette Madore. "I admired his skill. He's irreplaceable." Sukhmani Dhaliwal added, "RIP Rev, truly one of the greatest drummers out there. I pray for the band and the families. And no matter what I will still support A7X and whatever there decisions for the future may be."