Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman Remembered 10 Years After His Death: Career, Cause of Death, and More

The music industry remembered Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman 10 years after his death.

Hanneman served as one of the co-founding members of Slayer alongside Tom Araya, Kerry King, and Dave Lombardo. After the band was formed in 1981, it became one of the "Big 4" thrash metal bands with Anthrax, Megadeth, and Metallica.

How Did Jeff Hanneman Die?

The late guitarist's career was cut short when he died 10 years ago today.

Slayer confirmed his death in a statement on its official website, saying that the founding member passed away due to liver failure at a hospital near his Southern California home. The band added that he suffered a liver failure that led to his passing.

In addition, Hanneman contracted a rare skin tissue disease called necrotizing fasciitis that was most likely caused by a spider bite.

"Jeff was seriously ill. Jeff ended up contracting a bacteria that ate away his flesh on his arm, so they cut open his arm, from his wrist to his shoulder, and they did a skin graft on him, they cleaned up," Araya said. "It was a flesh-eating virus, so he was really, really bad."

Aside from these issues, Hanneman also suffered from an arthritic condition, which worsened over the years and affected his ability to play the instrument. Even his bandmates noticed his deteriorating health at that time.

Jeff Hanneman's Life, Career, and Legacy

The Oakland, California native met King in 1981, and it led them to form their own band.

Slayer signed with Metal Blade Records and started dropping its albums, including "Show No Mercy" and "Hell Awaits" in 1983 and 1985, respectively. The music projects made the band become a massive group of the genre during the 1980s.

Hanneman continuously played with Slayer in its other albums, including "Seasons in the Abyss," "Undisputed Attitude," "Diabolous in Musica," and "Christ Illusion," to name a few. He marked his last album with the band in 2009, "World Painted Blood."

Due to his skin tissue disease, Hanneman took a break and had Exodus' Gary Holt take his place temporarily.

He returned to the band to play the final two songs of Slayer's American Big 4 show set, "South of Heaven" and "Angel of Death." The tracks ultimately became the final live performance of the late guitarist with the band.