DW lost a dear family member just before the New Year. Avenged Sevenfold Drummer and Singer Jimmy Sullivan left this world in his home at approximately 1 pm PST December 28th, 2009, aged 28 years. His death was reported as due to natural causes at the scene. He is survived by his wife, Leana MacFadden (A.K.A. Leana Silver).

Not too long after his death, the band Avenged Sevenfold had this to say:

"It 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".

This statement was posted to the band's Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and home webpage. Also posted on the band's homepage was a message from James' family which expressed their gratitude to his fans for their support:

"We would like to thank all of Jimmy's fans for the heartfelt comments that have been posted - it is comforting to know that his genius and antics were appreciated and that he was loved so much. Our hearts are broken - he was much too young to fall. Óg agus saor go deo (forever young and free)".

For more information, visit the Official Avenged Sevenfold website.