Jeff Hanneman
| Jeff Hanneman | |
|---|---|
Hanneman in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey John Hanneman |
| Born |
January 31, 1964 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 2013 (aged 49) Hemet, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Thrash metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1981–2013 |
| Labels | American |
| Associated acts | Slayer |
| Notable instruments | |
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ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model Jackson Soloist B.C. Rich Bich Gibson Les Paul |
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Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman contributed both lyrical and musical material to every Slayer album and wrote the songs "Raining Blood", "War Ensemble," "South of Heaven," "Seasons in the Abyss," and "Angel of Death," all of which have been played at almost every live Slayer performance after their respective compositions. He had his own signature guitar, the ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model.
Hanneman was born January 31, 1964 in Oakland, California, and grew up in Long Beach, California in a family containing several war veterans: his father fought in Normandy during World War II and his brothers in Vietnam, making warfare a common conversation topic at the dinner table. War films were popular on TV at the time, and Hanneman often joined his brothers in constructing and coloring tank and plane models. His interest in warfare and military history has been attributed to his upbringing.
In a 2009 interview with Decibel magazine, he stated his father is German, but fought for the Allied side in World War II. In the same interview, he also goes into detail of what district of Germany his father and grandparents hail from. His grandfather was fluent in German.
Hanneman was introduced to heavy metal music as a child through his older sister Mary, when she was listening to Black Sabbath at her house. Once he reached high school, he discovered hardcore punk, which had a significant influence on his style and attitude.
In 1981 Hanneman, who was working as a telemarketer at the time, met Kerry King, when King was auditioning for a southern rock band called "Ledger". King remembered: "As I was leaving, I saw Jeff just kinda standing around playing guitar, and he was playing stuff that I was into, like Def Leppard's 'Wasted' and AC/DC and Priest". After the try-out session, the two guitarists started talking and playing Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs. Slayer was born when King asked "Why don't we start our own band?", to which Hanneman replied "...Fuck yeah!".
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