If you were to tell us a year ago that we’d be writing about Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who would have turned 50 today, in the past tense, we wouldn’t have believed us. But here we are, just five days after he was snubbed by the Grammys and nine months after he passed away celebrating what would have been his 50th birthday. Today, the band’s Facebook page posted a pretty touching tribute to the guitarist that appeared to touch on the snub.

Today would have been Jeff Hanneman’s 50th birthday, presenting us with another reminder of how much we all miss him since he passed last May 2. The entire Slayer family appreciates the fans’ tributes and recognition of the trails Jeff blazed in thrash metal and the songs he wrote that defined a genre. We – the fans, the press, the Slayer family – know what Jeff’s accomplishments were, we know the long-lasting effect his talent will continue to have on young musicians just starting their careers. Jeff Hammenan belongs to US, the rebels, the misfits, the mavericks, the ones who go left when everyone else goes right, the ones who push against the grain and introduce real change into the world – just like Jeff did.
Happy Birthday Jeff!

Yeah, nicely put. To properly pay tribute to him, let’s listen to his finest 29 minutes.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/s-5qMHaA5_0[/youtube]