Kerry King Issues Message to Fans on International Slayer Day
While several of the speakers got emotional and tears were shed at Thursday's Jeff Hanneman Memorial Celebration at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Slayer guitarist Kerry King chose to keep things light and upbeat while remembering his late bandmate. King used his time onstage to share several fun stories from his history with Hanneman that showed the guitarist's spirit and good nature.
Though it could have been a somber occasion, the memorial celebration for late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman brought a range of emotions from tears to laughs as his friends and peers took the time to reflect on his musical and personal legacy.
Family, friends, fans and peers of late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman will gather this afternoon in Los Angeles to mourn the death of the musician and celebrate his life and legacy, but unfortunately there will also be members of the Westboro Baptist Church in attendance picketing the event. Taking a pre-emptive stance, Slayer has issued a statement concerning the church's attendance outside of the Palladium venue.
The music world has been rocked by the death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman and there will now be a place for his family, peers and fans to come together to mourn his loss and celebrate his life. The Jeff Hanneman Memorial Celebration is scheduled for May 23 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Following last week's tragic passing of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman on May 2, his official cause of death has been revealed to be alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver, according to a statement from the band. In the same press release, Slayer also announced that a public memorial will be held to honor Hanneman at a yet-to-be-revealed date.
Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo continues to mourn his late bandmate Jeff Hanneman with a new post on the percussionist's personal Facebook page. Lombardo shared a picture of Hanneman and himself from "around 1982" while regaling fans with a backstory on the punk rock roots shared between Hanneman and himself.
Metal musicians of all sub genres are continuing to pay their respects to late Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman. Few guitarists have earned their spot with Hanneman as members of thrash's most elite pedigree, but Testament shredder Alex Skolnick is undeniably at the side of Hanneman in terms of skill and respect. As one of thrash's most admired guitarists, Skolnick has written an in-depth memorial of Hanneman from the viewpoint of a true six-string master.
The music world has been mourning the death of Slayer's Jeff Hanneman over the last few days and now a couple of the band's members have weighed in with their comments as well. Both drummer Dave Lombardo and the group's touring guitarist Gary Holt have spoken out about Hanneman's life and legacy.
The news of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman's death weighed heavy on the minds of many of the rockers attending Thursday night's Revolver Golden Gods ceremony, with many of the musicians just learning the tragic news as they were arriving for the show that night. Loudwire spoke with a number of the top rockers on the Revolver Golden Gods Black Carpet about Hanneman's life, legacy and what Slayer, in general, has meant to the metal community.