The members of rock group Avenged Sevenfold were left so devastated by the death of drummer JIMMY SULLIVAN in December (09), they were sure the band would split in the days after the tragedy.
The rocker was found dead in his home and his bandmates felt sure they couldn't go on without him.
Guitarist Synyster Gates tells British magazine Kerrang, "We were all ready to quit for the first week after (the death). There was no way we could imagine being in a band anymore.
"But, quickly, that went away because your logic comes back to you. You start to realise that, had it been you, you would have shuddered at the thought of the rest of the guys not continuing."
Gates admits Sullivan's family members helped the bandmates make the right decision: "His family said, 'You guys have to keep going'. We had support from everybody, so that made it a lot easier."
Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy has stepped in to temporarily replace Sullivan, aka The Rev, and he'll perform with Avenged Sevenfold on the group's 2010 tour.