Avenged Sevenfold has to be one of my favorite bands, and every one of their shows here in Evansville has been absolutely amazing. Its also still tough to accept that Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan is no longer with us, after passing away two years ago. 

Today would have been The Rev's 31st birthday, and it is typically a sad day for the A7X family worldwide. In a letter from 'Jimmy's Mom', she talks about the strong bond that The Rev had with his bandmates and fans.

She also talks about the inspirational things found at Jimmy's gravesite;

You have left so many heartfelt notes, drawings, pictures, poems and tokens – from the affectionate “stallion” ducks and rubber “ninja” knives for the knife master, to drumsticks, concert programs, hand-made items and too many to list.

She also talked about some of the great things that The Rev's memory continues to inspire;

No tokens have warmed my heart more though, than recently finding three 2-year-sober coins, as well as more than a dozen more ranging from 1-day to 1-year, proudly left for Jimmy to see.

You can read the full letter on Loudwire.

As pointed out during the Last Damn Loud Rock Show that A7x played here, M. Shadows says the band still continues to use vocals recorded by The Rev. Proving that although he may be gone, he certainly is not forgotten.

The picture I included in this post was one taken at an after-show party on November 19, 2008. GBF alum Kameron and myself wanted to meet the band while they were playing pool. Of course security was thick, so we decided to find the hottest girl in the bar (I sort of know what bands go for). After breaking through we got to talk to all the members of the band, and even got a few snapshots. Including the one of The Rev and fellow A7x band member Johnny Christ.

After The Rev's passing, in January of last year, Avenged Sevenfold came back to Evansville. I got the privilege of interviewing Zacky Vengeance, who talked about the legacy The Rev left behind. He also spoke about the optimism he had for the band's new drummer Arin.

Check out that video below, and check out Loudwire.com for the Top 5 Avenged Sevenfold videos featuring The Rev.

More From WGBF-FM