James Owen Sullivan, drummer for Avenged Sevenfold, dead

James Owen Sullivan, the drummer for the Huntington Beach rock band Avenged Sevenfold, died Monday, Orange County authorities said.

Sullivan, 28, of Huntington Beach, also performed as a backup vocalist for the group of trained multi-instrumental musicians with classical influences, which formed in 1999.“The cause of death is still under investigation,” said Deputy Coroner Mitchell Sigal. “An autopsy has been scheduled.”

Sullivan was discovered "unresponsive" in his Huntington Beach home at 11 a.m., authorities said.

News of the musician's death prompted many messages of condolence on the band’s Internet fan sites.

The group, which blended melodic hard rock with the emotional drive of hard-core punk, was named Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. Sullivan was its hard-driving drum master.

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan," read a statement on the group’s website late Monday night.

"Jimmy was not only one of the world’s best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother,” it said. “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."

-- Louis Sahagun

*Note- The band's name, "Avenged Sevenfold," is a reference to a biblical text in Genesis of Lamech's reference to the killing of Cain by Abel, whose death would be avenged sevenfold, though God had marked him with a sign to protect him from vengeance. The band's name is just another instance of the glorification of vengeance and violence in Rock and Roll.

Little Drummer Boy: Stomp Style

In Memoriam: Bob Keane (January 5, 1922 – November 28, 2009)

Tonight I was watching on TV the old movie "La Bamba" about the 50's singer Ritchie Valens. I have seen it a number of times and everytime I watch it I think about an old friend, Bob Keane, who produced Ritchie Valens and the group I played drums for in the late 60's, Beauregard Ajax. After the movie I went to my computer and googled "Ritchie Valens" and then "Bob Keane." I soon discovered that Bob Keane died recently on November 28, 2009 at the age of 87.

Our group connected with Bob Keane through a high school friend of mine from my Home town, Oxnard California, Patrick Landreville. Bob Keane listened to our demos and invited us to LA to consider a recording contract with Del-Fi Records. Our group moved into an apartment in LA in 1968 and started recording with Bob at Del-Fi recording studios a block south of Hollywood and Vine Streets. The recording sessions were long and often tedious, but we completed most of the recordings. All was left was some fine tuning, addition of strings and other concluding work when Bob lost his studio. That was the end of our recordings. Bob kept the masters. Years later copies of those master ended up floating around in Europe. Beaurgeard Ajax split up in early 1969 and went different directions. Clint Williams, the bass player, and myself joined an 18 year old amazing guitarist Bill Conners, who later joined with Chick Corea's Return to Forever. I stayed with "Middle Earth" until I was drafted into the Army late 1969, where I ended up playing drums in the Third Army Soldier Show.

Many years later, 36 years to be exact, I googled the name "Beauregard Ajax" and to my surprise discovered that our album, first recorded with Bob Keane at Del-Fi, had been released on a vinyl record by Shadoks Records in Germany and later on a CD. None of the original band members has made any royalties off those recordings that we made as young men so long ago, but I am blessed to have known Bob Keane, to have recorded at Del-Fi, to have been able to see others from another generation enjoy our music today. Thanks, Bob, for your life story and for connecting to my life story. Rest in peace, Bob.

LA Times story on Bob Keane: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-bob-keane1-2009dec01,0,2711217.story