Heavy metal guitarist Jeff Hanneman has died of liver failure.
Hanneman’s band Slayer announced the news on its Facebook page on Thursday night.
The 49-year-old, who died at a South California hospital, had been suffering from a flesh-eating disease believed to have been contracted from a spider bite in 2011.
Jeff Hanneman has died of liver failure aged 49
Hanneman had been recovering after nearly losing his arm after failing to seek immediate treatment following the bite. It is unknown if this played a part in his death.
The official Slayer website today paid tribute to: “Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace.”
Hanneman cofounded the band in Huntington Beach, California, in 1982.
Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy told the Associated Press: "The music industry has lost a true trailblazer, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, his bandmates and fans around the world who mourn his untimely passing."
Hanneman's death was announced on the Slayer Facebook page