Celebrated drummer Mike Portnoy recently took time out of his touring schedule to meet the family of deceased Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan.
Portnoy, currently the touring and session drummer for Avenged Sevenfold recently sat down with Sullivan’s family for the first time after a show in Irvine, Orange County.
Writer Chris Epting, a friend of both Portnoy and the Sullivan’s writes about the meeting in an interesting story published on beliefnet.com.
“The Sullivan’s had yet to meet their son's idol who was now sitting in for him, and they were anxious to. So now we had a mission and off we went.
A minute or two later, the introductions were made.
Mike and Joe Sullivan embraced. Then Mike hugged Barbara, and Jimmy's two sisters. There were tears. And stories. And lots of emotion. Mike told the family how much he feels Jimmy's legacy in the air each night they play. And what it means to him to be playing drums in the band. Joe expressed to Mike how much "little" Jimmy adored Portnoy growing up. Some pictures were taken. More hugs. More tears. More sharing of stories,” Epting writes.
Mike Portnoy only recently left his long-time band, Dream Theater.
Avenged Sevenfold will be here early next year as part of Soundwave 2011.
You can read the full story here.
