| Jeff Hanneman Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| Weight | 74 kg |
| Date of Birth | January 31, 1964 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Date of Death | May 2, 2013 |
Jeff Hanneman was an American musician and songwriter who found popularity as the founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band, Slayer (1981-2011). His band gained cult status in the 1980s and was considered in the same group as the legendary thrash metal bands Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Among his most well-known songs are Angel Of Death, Raining Blood, War Ensemble, Bloodline, Mandatory Suicide, Dead Skin Mask, Ghosts of War, Delusions of Saviour, etc.
Born Name
Jeffrey John Hanneman
Nick Name
Jeff
Age
He was born on January 31, 1964.
Died
Jeff passed away on May 2, 2013, in Hemet, California at the age of 49 years. He died of liver failure and his cause of death was termed as alcohol-related cirrhosis.
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Long Beach, California, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Musician, Songwriter
Family
- Siblings – Mary Hanneman (Older Sister). He had 2 more siblings.
Genre
Thrash Metal
Instruments
Guitar
Labels
- Metal Blade Records
- Geffen Records
- Def Jam Recordings
- American Recordings
Net Worth
At the time of his death, Jeff Hanneman’s net worth was $10 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 11 in or 180.5 cm
Weight
74 kg or 163 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Jeff Hanneman had dated –
- Kathryn Gail (1983-2013) – He first met Kathryn Gail in Buena Park, California while performing with his band in 1983. After dating for a few years, the duo wed in 1989 in Las Vegas and stayed happily married until Jeff’s death in May 2013. Lastly, the couple did not have any children together.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He had German ancestry on his father’s side.
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Long, blonde hair
- Created complex and fast-paced musical compositions
- Often wore hockey jerseys during performances
Religion
Atheism
Jeff Hanneman Facts
- His father had fought in Normandy during World War II on the allied side in spite of having German ancestry. Furthermore, his brothers are also Vietnam War veterans.
- Hanneman is credited with composing music for a majority of the band’s hit songs like Angel of Death, Seasons in the Abyss, Dead Skin Mask, The Antichrist, Postmortem, South of Heaven, Black Magic, etc.
- In 2011, he got bit by a spider while using his friend’s hot tub and developed necrotizing fasciitis, which is a flesh-eating condition, on his right arm. This greatly affected his ability to play with Slayer, forcing him to eventually leave the group and fall into a deep depression.
- After Jeff became too ill to play, his good friend Gary Holt from Exodus stepped in as his temporary replacement in the band. Following his death, Holt became a full-time member of Slayer until the group split in 2019.
- He had written lyrics for the band’s breakout single Angel of Death, which detailed the horrors of the concentration camps during World War II. But, the song’s controversial lyrics led to the band being accused of being Nazi sympathizers, which the group denied emphatically.
- As reflected by several of his song lyrics, Jeff had a profound interest in Nazi Germany and German war medals. His father gave him numerous medals from his wartime, including one belonging to a dead German soldier, which piqued his interest further. During his lifetime, he became a collector of war medals and was in possession of the Knight’s Cross (the most prized item of his collection), which he had purchased from a fan for $1,000.
- Hanneman and his fellow bandmate Kerry King were together ranked at #10 in the list of ‘100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time’ by Guitar World Magazine in 2004.
Featured Image by Victoria Morse / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
