Chris Epting was kind enough to send in a recap and some photos from Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan’s fan gathering in Huntington Beach yesterday to Deathbat News to share with you all. As a surprise to all of the fans that had come together The Sullivan’s stopped by to join in on the remembrance. Did you attend? Share your stories in the comments.
Just returned from Central Park – Sheila R, organized a heartfelt event that was truly memorable. Franki Doll sang some amazing acapella that set the mood, and there were many stories, laughs, hugs and tears. I had been in touch with the Sullivans several times throughout the night – about 7 Joe called me back and said he wanted to come by so Charlie and I went to meet them in the parking – and the entire family was there: Jimmy’s sisters, Joe’s mom, Barbara, and others. They joined the celebration, told stories, took pictures and shared tales of Jimmy. When we all released the black balloons into the night sky to the strains of So Far Away, it was with heavy hearts. But it was also liberating; a chance to release some emotions, exhaling deeply on an emotional day that brought many people together.
Thank you, Sheila and everyone else we met.
PS–to everyone who sent their thoughts in for my article and the memory book we gave the Sullivans, Barbara told me tonight she read them all today and it helped her cope with the pain.
As well, we printed out a full set of the comments and placed them at Jimmy’s grave when we visited – so you were all part of this day physically, as well as emotionally.
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amazing and heartbreaking at the same time :(<3
Comment by Kimi December 29, 2010 @ 4:43 amThank you Chris for sharing this with us!
Comment by Kelly December 29, 2010 @ 5:21 amSo we’re all on Jimmy’s grave?
Comment by Molly December 29, 2010 @ 5:55 amI feel so honored. :)
Love you, Jimmy! Miss you!
<3~foREVer~<3
Yeh I feel really honoured!!! The memory book is such a good idea as well!!!!
Comment by Will0240 A7X forREVer December 29, 2010 @ 5:01 pmfoREVer
i know, how amazing is that! :)
Comment by francyA7X December 29, 2010 @ 6:21 pmbeautiful :’) I wish I was there.
Comment by Hannah December 29, 2010 @ 6:15 amAt least they got to read what I wrote :’)
Love you so much Jimmy :’(
At first, I was a little bummed that I wasn’t able to get out there for this but when I read that the comments were printed out & placed on Jimmy’s grave.. my thoughts changed. I *was* there. Thank you Chris!!!
I am so glad to hear the Sullivan’s liked the book. May it always bring comfort to them! :-)
Comment by Andrea Lam December 29, 2010 @ 6:22 amwish i were there.. R.I.P Jimmy.. btw does he mean the thoughts we sent by e-mail to dbn?
Comment by Alive December 29, 2010 @ 7:16 amYes, everything that was emailed to DBN and placed in the memory book I also printed out and placed on the grave.
Comment by Charles Epting December 29, 2010 @ 9:04 amyeah :)
Comment by Angst December 29, 2010 @ 9:20 amI wish I could have been there. It’s great that Jimmy is so well loved.
Comment by Shelley December 29, 2010 @ 7:23 amgutted i couldnt be there but it would of cost me over £500 just for flights. big smiles that the comments were put on his grave…has made my day :) 1 day i will go HB and do my respects then. maybe next year ay?
Comment by lew December 29, 2010 @ 7:26 amSad I couldn’t be there but it feels so amazing to know that what we wrote is now by Jimmy’s grave :’)
Comment by Angst December 29, 2010 @ 8:24 amthankyou so much Chris =]
~foREVer~
Ugh, i got there sooo late i didnt knw where to leave the stuff i made for jimmy it was so dark by the time i got there, and didnt just wna leave it anywhere. Im glad the gathering turned out more then well as i told sheila. Seemed beautiful. Jimmy would be proud. PS- Central park IS the scariest park! Lol.
Comment by GraceyP December 29, 2010 @ 9:02 amDamn I wish I lived in Cali so I could’ve gone to thst ),= Yestarday I had a basketball game and I played my heart out for Jimmy and I did badass!(=
Comment by Chastidy Roman December 29, 2010 @ 9:52 amI wish I could have been there, but knowing my words have been placed on his grave makes me feel like at least a part of me was there. Thank you Chris for all you have done for the fans and the Sullivan family! <3
Comment by Rachel December 29, 2010 @ 10:10 amR.I.P. THE REV!! i love you jimmy, i send all my love out to the band and leanna and jimmys family.. im pretty sure it has been a hard year for you guys… thank you so much for moving on and sharing the last of jimmys master piece, it is absolutely beautiful.. i love you guys and will foREVer…
Comment by anna December 29, 2010 @ 10:17 amIt was such an amazing experience to be there and meet the Sullivans. One in a lifetime.
Comment by Lilly December 29, 2010 @ 10:23 amWow. Thank you Chris to share it. I feel so honored that my comment is placed at Jimmy’s grave. Reading this article and my eyes are fulled of tears.. :(
Love you Jimmy. foREVer <3
Comment by V4nn4ly December 29, 2010 @ 10:46 amLast night was amazing. I met so many wonderful fans, and the Sullivan family. My heart goes out to the family for there loss, and I thank them for stopping by to meet all the fans there. Seeing Jimmy’s gravesite was an honor, a bunch of us fans played music and sang along for Jimmy at the cemetery and had a few beers for him too. Yesterday was an experience I’ll never forget. Thanks Chris for broadcasting the event. I drove four hours with my friends to make it to the event. I would have never known about it if it wasn’t for your wonderful article.
Comment by Britt Lynne December 29, 2010 @ 10:48 amI am so blessed for the opportunity yesterday to meet the Sullivan’s. What a wonderful family. At one point Joe Sullivan was consoling me. What a kind, loving man. He looks and sounds so much like Jimmy it was a little haunting. I loved hearing the stories and to just be able to hug his mother and comfort her as well. I am so proud of Franki too, she did an amazing job! Chris Epting is one of the nicest guys I have ever had the pleasure of talking to. We are so lucky to have him in our corner. Thank you Sheila again for everything!
Comment by Kristen December 29, 2010 @ 10:51 amYesterday was one of the most liberating nights of my life. It was definitely filled with a lot of emotions; Good and bad. But meeting the Sullivan’s and being told stories of the crazy days with Jimmy made the night a lot better. Did you know Jimmy went to three kindergartens? And that he broke both his wrists trying to jump from one tree branch to the other? His family was very sweet and honored with the gathering. And I would like to thank Sheila for putting this together.
The best part of the night was setting the black balloons go. So Far Away played on the CD player they had. But it stopped working about a minute into the song. So you had about 40 people singing So Far Away as we watched our balloons disappear in the sky.
This day was a very hard day for a lot of people. And spending it with all the A7X family made it easier. You were surrounding by people that understood and supported you. That is something that only Avenged Sevenfold could provide.
December 28th is a day that I will mourn for the rest of my life. But when I think of Jimmy is in his afterlife chasing stallion ducks and playing that beautiful golden drum set, I know he’s in a better place. Even if it isn’t with us.
Rest In Piece, Jimmy. We love you.
Comment by Brittany December 29, 2010 @ 10:54 amhow does he break both wrists, and … play drums so amazingly…? wow. thats awesome.. im a drummer and i know that if i broke my wrists id prolly never play the same again.. thats incredible..
Comment by Mike Gee December 29, 2010 @ 3:39 pmdidnt get a chance to go to his grave yesterday, but i went today an gave him a rose. saw everything that was brought, was good to see how many people cared :)
Comment by ryan December 29, 2010 @ 10:56 amyou know where his grave is at??
Comment by francyA7X December 29, 2010 @ 6:23 pmthey are creepy like that :D
Comment by AJ Lee December 30, 2010 @ 7:19 amHow amazing Jimmy’s family must be to gather with the fans in the park on a day that must have been pure hell for them emotionally. Jimmy would’ve been so proud. And even though I live in Texas, I’m honored that my words were placed next to him. I love Jimmy always and foREVer!!!!
Comment by Sian December 29, 2010 @ 11:12 amLast night was absolutely amazing..i will never forget it. thank you sheila and chris. the sullivans dropping by…i couldnt believe it..im so touched and to be able to have heard stories of jimmy was beyond amazing. everyone was in tears..after we let the balloons go and sang So Far Away i held my picture of jimmy and couldnt help but choke up as well. it was very emotional.thank you again to everyone and my heart goes out to the Sullivans..RIP Jimmy..we miss you foREVer
Comment by denise December 29, 2010 @ 11:21 amI posted a little bit above about last night but I just wrote out a longer version, so here you go.
Yesterday was such a beautiful touching experience. I will never forget it. I am so grateful I was part of it. First off I would like to thank Sheila for organizing the event She did such a great job. I love you girl!
The weather was absolutely gorgeous the weather was. It has been raining here for days and yesterday it was sunny and beautiful I have never witnessed a more beautiful sunset in all my life. This picture doesn’t do it justice. http://i51.tinypic.com/2ly5xzr.jpg
When I first got there I was greeted by friends I have made because of Avenged Sevenfold. We are such a tight family. My friend Sheila, Jackie and I all went over and chased some ducks for Jimmy. The mood was very light and happy. I finally had the opportunity to meet Chris Epting. It was nice to be able to thank him for all he’s done for the band and the fans. He is one of the kindest people I have ever met. We talked for quite awhile and I was able to share with him how Jimmy changed my life.
My friend Franki Doll was there and we finally convinced her to sing her song “A Song For You” She belted it out. That song had been written previously but after Jimmy passed she re-wrote some of the verses. That song is her song for Jimmy, her family and friends.
People gathered around and started sharing stories about Jimmy and memories. They were all great to hear. I shared my story as well.
What happened next I was not prepared for. I met the entire Sullivan family. From his grandmother, parents, sisters and cousins I believe. Joe Sullivan looks and sounds exactly like Jimmy. It was haunting. I stood right next to him as we released the balloons and sang So Far Away. He has such a beautiful voice. I was crying so hard and he grabbed me and gave me the longest hug. He comforted me. During that hug I was able to let him know that his son saved my life and he was so grateful to hear that. Now, I have never seen such pain in my life as I did looking into his mother’s eyes. I grabbed her and hugged her and consoled her. I let her know as well that her son saved my life and she thanked me. It was such a special moment with both of them. The family stood there and told stories about Jimmy and it was an experience I will never forget.
Even though tears were shed, it was wonderful to be there with people who loved Jimmy and knew exactly what I was going through. We went through it together. We are a family.
Comment by Kristen December 29, 2010 @ 11:28 amThank you for sharing your story! I couldn’t be there because I live in France, but I imagined it reading your post and some others!
Comment by Anaïs December 29, 2010 @ 1:33 pmI wasn’t able to go to the gathering in Central Park but I did go and visit Jimmy’s grave. I got there around 3 and there was about 3 people. Jimmy had tons of flowers and gifts from people. Even somebody from Brazil was there. Sooner or later, more and more people came. There was about 20 people gathered by his grave all together. Somebody turned the music on from their car. We all gathered around Jimmy’s grave and sang as loud as we could. We sand Fiction, So Far Away, Dear God, Seize The Day, and other Avenged songs. Somebody recorded us singing Fiction so look for that on YouTube soon :)Even though we were disrupting the dead by singing, it’s okay because Jimmy would have done the same damn thing. foREVer <3
Comment by Mariah December 29, 2010 @ 11:39 amdamn this is so awesome!! wish i couldve been there but i live in maine! its nice to here everyones stories though..a7x family <3 foReVer
Comment by JAYME December 29, 2010 @ 12:19 pmIt sounds like an amazing night. Wish I could’ve been there.
Comment by E December 29, 2010 @ 12:49 pmAww, everyone’s got such wonderful stories… It all sounds so fitting of Jimmy and it’s nice to know that the Sullivan’s got to experience the fan support first hand. They all seem like such nice people.
I’d love to have been part of this in person, but knowing that my message is there with everyone elses and Jimmy is pretty special. I’ve cried quite a bit today but that made me smile. Thank you to all involved :)
Comment by SS December 29, 2010 @ 12:59 pmWow – I don’t know what to say about this…I think I’ll just cry instead :(
Comment by ZombieGirl December 29, 2010 @ 3:33 pm[...] Chris Epting Reports In From Yesterday’s Fan Gathering In HB For The Rev. Chris Epting was kind enough to send in a recap and some photos from Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan’s fan gathering in [...] [...]
Pingback by Top Posts — WordPress.com December 29, 2010 @ 4:08 pmthat is beautiful. I wish I could have been there.
Comment by Lisa December 29, 2010 @ 4:47 pmMy two sons and I did a Balloon release at 6:00pm In Illinois to remember the REV. Then went out and had Margaritas and cheered Jimmy. foREVer </3
Comment by enamouredwmshadows December 29, 2010 @ 5:55 pmThanks Chris for leaving our messages with Jimmy & his family. Hope we made a difference on such a sad day for all of us.
Comment by enamouredwmshadows December 29, 2010 @ 5:58 pmHey, thank you so much for leaving the words we all came up with to help Jimmy’s family and friends. The pain we feel, for Jimmy’s death, pales in comparison to the pain his family feels.
Comment by Steve December 29, 2010 @ 6:10 pmWe all grieve in different ways, each have their own way, but when you lose someone that is part of your heart, it never heals. You just get used to the pain.
Wish i could have been there. Thanks Chris for leaving our little notes with Jimmy :)
Comment by francyA7X December 29, 2010 @ 6:26 pmOh man, I literally live RIGHT next to Central Park! Wish I knew this was happening :(
Comment by AGGH December 29, 2010 @ 6:26 pmAmazing (:
Comment by EmilyA7X December 29, 2010 @ 6:45 pmCentral Park New York????? I thought this was at Huntington Beach?
Comment by Anonymous December 29, 2010 @ 8:04 pmIt was. Central Park in Huntington Beach.
Comment by deathbatnews December 29, 2010 @ 8:14 pmoh ok. haha. i didn’t know there was another Central Park.
Comment by Anonymous December 30, 2010 @ 12:15 pmI really wish I could have been there at the ceremony, but I live across the United States :P It sounded really beautiful and heartfelt.
I feel really honored to have the memory book on Jimmy’s grave. It makes me feel like I was there paying respect. I’ll go visit him one day.
Comment by Taryn December 30, 2010 @ 8:10 amI so wish I could’ve gone. His fans and family all there that is beautiful.
Comment by ashleigh December 30, 2010 @ 8:34 amThis is amazing. I live all the way in New York and I would have loved to be there, but the fact that you printed out our words and put them there…that’s just amazing! Thank you so much Chris and Death Bat News!! :D <3
Comment by Ashley December 30, 2010 @ 10:03 amAwesome. Wish I could have been a part of this!! RIP!!!!
Comment by Weber December 30, 2010 @ 10:47 amIt’s a shame that Christmas will never be the same again for all of his loved ones. RIP.
Comment by Kim December 31, 2010 @ 7:56 amHello everyone! The meeting was awesome and the surprise at the end was too perfect for words. I’m the brazilian girl that was there… And I just wanted to thank you Chris for making my visiting to the US the best trip ever!
Comment by Vanessa January 26, 2011 @ 5:28 pm