Jeff Hanneman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Hanneman
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Hanneman performing at Mayhem Festival 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 |
| Years active | 1981–2013 |
Jeffrey John Hanneman (born January 31, 1964 – died May 2, 2013) was an American musician. He is best known as a founding member and guitarist of the famous thrash metal band Slayer. Jeff Hanneman wrote music and lyrics for every Slayer album until he passed away in 2013 at age 49. He even had his own special guitar, the ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Music Interests
Jeff Hanneman was born on January 31, 1964, in Oakland, California. He grew up in Long Beach. His family had many war veterans, including his father and brothers. Because of this, war was often a topic of conversation at home. Jeff also enjoyed watching war films and building models of tanks and planes. This early interest helped shape his later fascination with military history.
In an interview, he shared that his father was German. His grandfather also spoke German. Jeff's older sister, Mary, first introduced him to heavy metal music. She listened to bands like Black Sabbath. When he got to high school, he discovered hardcore punk. This type of music greatly influenced his own style and attitude.
Forming Slayer
In 1981, Jeff Hanneman met Kerry King. Kerry was trying out for a band called "Ledger." Kerry King remembered seeing Jeff playing guitar. He was playing songs by bands like Def Leppard, AC/DC, and Judas Priest. After talking, the two guitarists started playing songs by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest together. This is how the band Slayer began. Kerry King asked, "Why don't we start our own band?"
Jeff had been playing guitar for about a year when he met Kerry. He worked hard to get better after seeing Kerry play. Jeff loved hardcore punk music. He got the other band members interested in it too. This led Slayer to play faster and more aggressively. The band's drummer, Dave Lombardo, said Jeff's hardcore influences made him play faster. This helped shape his drumming style.
In 1984, Jeff, Dave Lombardo, and Rocky George had a short side project. It was a hardcore punk band called "Pap Smear." They had many songs and were ready to record. But Slayer's producer, Rick Rubin, advised Jeff not to do the side project. Rubin said it could break up bands. Jeff took his advice. Only a demo was recorded. Later, two of their songs were re-recorded for Slayer's 1996 album, Undisputed Attitude.
Early in Slayer's career, Kerry King was very influenced by the English band Venom. This influence also greatly affected Jeff's songwriting. In 1987, Jeff said his lyrics often questioned religious ideas. He mentioned being against "Christian TV conmen" who he felt stole money. Jeff got many of his lyrical ideas from books he read.
Illness and Passing
In early 2011, Jeff Hanneman got a serious infection in his arm. It was called necrotizing fasciitis. Reports said this illness was linked to a spider bite he got. He claimed it happened while he was in a friend's hot tub. About a week later, his wife saw his arm and told him to get medical help. Doctors told them that his arm might need to be removed. At one point, Jeff was put into a special coma. Before surgery, hospital staff told his wife he might not survive. He did survive, but his wife said the illness made it hard for him to play guitar. This made him feel sad and lose hope.
Because of his illness, Slayer needed someone to fill in for him. They were going to play at the Australian Soundwave Festival in February 2011. So, on February 16, 2011, Gary Holt from the band Exodus joined them. Later, Pat O'Brien became Slayer's temporary second guitarist. This happened when Gary Holt left to play with Exodus. In 2012, bandmate Tom Araya said Jeff was getting better. But an update on the band's website said the illness had "devastated his well-being." In February 2013, Kerry King said Jeff was still having health problems. These problems kept him from performing.
Jeff Hanneman passed away from liver failure on May 2, 2013. He died in a hospital near his home in Southern California. Gary Holt then became Jeff's permanent replacement in Slayer. He stayed with the band for six years until they stopped performing in 2019.
Personal Life
In 1989, Jeff Hanneman married Kathryn in Las Vegas. They had met in 1983. This was before Slayer's first album, Show No Mercy, came out. They met at a Slayer show in Buena Park, California.
Jeff was a quiet person when he was not on stage. He was careful about who he spent time with. He also rarely gave interviews. As the band's singer, Tom Araya, said, "If he didn't like you, he wouldn't hang with you."
Interest in Military History
Jeff Hanneman was very interested in German military history and war medals. This interest showed up in many of his song lyrics. His interest began with medals his father gave him. Some of these were taken from a German soldier. His most prized medal was his Knight's Cross. He bought it from a Slayer fan for $1,000. While touring with Motörhead, Jeff found out that Motörhead's singer, Lemmy, also liked medals. They often talked about medal designs, weapons, and military strategies.
Influences and Guitar Style
Jeff Hanneman was greatly influenced by many bands. These included hard rock and heavy metal groups like Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Aerosmith. He also liked hardcore punk bands such as Wasted Youth, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, and T.S.O.L.. These punk influences led to Slayer's 1996 album, Undisputed Attitude.
Jeff and Kerry King's guitar solos together were often described as "wildly chaotic" and "twisted genius." The album South of Heaven had more "technical" guitar riffs. These riffs used fast picking and down-picked notes. This showed improved musical skill while still sounding melodic. Both Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King were ranked number 10 on Guitar World's list of the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time."
Many musicians have said Jeff Hanneman was a huge influence. John Consterdine from Terrorizer magazine said that without Jeff, Slayer would not have created some of the most famous riffs in metal. These riffs changed the whole genre. Jeff Kitts of Guitar World said Jeff "influenced a generation and changed the course of metal forever." Alex Webster called him "one of the greatest musicians and songwriters in metal." Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom described him as "one of the fathers of metal."
Alex Skolnick of Testament said Jeff "wrote some of the best riffs of all time." He added that Jeff "impacted music in such a way that an entire genre will never be the same." Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour called Jeff "one of the most underrated writers and underrated players that ever was." Slash of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver called him "the king of thrash/speed metal guitar."
Lyrics and Music Creation
Jeff Hanneman wrote the music for many of the band's most popular songs. These include "Die by the Sword," "South of Heaven," "War Ensemble," "Postmortem," "Dead Skin Mask," and "Seasons in the Abyss." All of these became regular songs played at Slayer concerts. He wrote both lyrics and music for every Slayer album. He often worked with Tom Araya on songs.
When the band created new music, they usually wrote the music first, then the lyrics. Jeff often created riffs at his home. He used a 24-track recorder and a drum machine. Then, he would get ideas from the other band members. Kerry King and Dave Lombardo would suggest changes. The band would play the riff to get the basic song structure. After that, they would figure out where the lyrics and guitar solos would go. Jeff said that writing lyrics and music was a "free for all." He explained, "It's all just whoever comes up with what. Sometimes I'll be more on a roll and I'll have more stuff, same with Kerry – it's whoever's hot, really. Anybody can write anything; if it's good we use it, if not we don't."
Legacy and Influence
Jeff Hanneman's guitar work had a big impact on heavy metal music and its culture. Many musicians have said he influenced their playing and songwriting. These include Robb Flynn (Machine Head), Dino Cazares (Fear Factory, Divine Heresy), Mille Petrozza (Kreator), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Dan Lilker (Anthrax, Nuclear Assault), Eric Hoffman (Amon/Deicide), Trevor Peres (Obituary), Mark Morton (Lamb of God), and Kelly Shaefer (Atheist). Jeff Walker said that "Hanneman's playing and riff writing and attitude has had a big impact on Carcass." Shavo Odadjian said that "without Jeff Hanneman, there would be no System of a Down."
Jeff Hanneman's Gear
Jeff used specific guitars, effects, and amplifiers to create his unique sound.
Guitars
- ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model
- Jackson Custom Shop Soloist
- EMG 81/85 pickups with EMG SPC Mid-Boost circuit
- Kahler Pro bridges
- Dunlop .009-.042 Strings
- D'Addario .009-.042 Strings (earlier)
Effects
- Shure Wireless System
- Eventide H3000S Harmonizer
- Yamaha SPX-90 Effects Processor
- Rocktron Super C HUSH
- MXR Smart Gate
- BOSS RGE-10 (10 band EQ)
Amplification
- Marshall JCM800 2203 amplifiers
- Marshall JCM800 1960 Cabinets, later ModeFour Speaker Cabinet, supposedly loaded with Celestion G12T-75 Speakers
Discography
- 1983: Show No Mercy
- 1984: Haunting the Chapel
- 1985: Hell Awaits
- 1986: Reign in Blood
- 1988: South of Heaven
- 1990: Seasons in the Abyss
- 1994: Divine Intervention
- 1996: Undisputed Attitude
- 1998: Diabolus in Musica
- 2001: God Hates Us All
- 2006: Christ Illusion
- 2009: World Painted Blood
- 2015: Repentless (writing credit "Piano Wire")
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Hanneman para niños
