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FROM KERRY KING. C/O; http://www.kfkindustries.com Dimebag Darrell First of all, I want to thank everyone for the e-mails, gifts and overall well-wishing in the aftermath of this tragedy. It’s unimaginable how this could ever happen. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the reality that my friend is gone. My heart goes out to Vince, Rita, family and friends of the injured and deceased. I'll never forget you Dime, my iron-livered brother. You're more than guitar hero. You're my fucking hero too. Ill have a double waiting for you on stage. Rest in peace, bro. Statement about Dime from Chris Barnes life is too short my friends ...life is too short.i was lucky enough to meet Dime a few years back when i was in Dallas for a tattoo convention and getting some work done on a tattoo that Paul Booth was working on.anyway me and Paul and some friends decided to go see Kid Rock who was playing in town. during the show Dime came out on stage and joined the band-it was awesome. after the show Paul asked if id come back stage with him and Paul asked me if i would show Darrell the tattoo work he was doing on me.and i was like sure..man was i nervous as hell when i went back there -but you know what Dime was cool as hell to me and complimented me on the tattoo, it was just a real cool experience getting to meet him. i was always a big Pantera fan, and when i heard the news last Wednesday night, all i could think of how lucky i was to meet Darrell and how back in 1994 when i was on my last US tour with Cannibal Corpse , we were playing a show in LA, chillin on the bus, it was about 2hrs before the show, we were all just sittin around playin video games and such. so rob walks in the bus with a couple of guys, one was in the opening band and one was a friend of the guy in the opening band. anyway to make a long story short, the guy from the opening band shook my hand and then started talking about his friend that was standing next to him facing me,and how he was just released form prison and how they came there to kill me because of the lyrics i was writing at the time, butchered at birth, and tomb mainly-saying that i should be killed for singing about killing babies..and at that point his friend lifted his shirt and took out a 9 mm from the front of his waistband. he remained silent while the other guy kept saying they were going to kill me for writing lyrics like that. just at that moment my tour manager at the time,Doug Goodman came on the bus and saw the situation. Doug has a real positive attitude and personality and luckily somehow in like a split second, he talked to these guys and got them off the bus guarding me at the same time. it was so fucked up and i wouldn't have played the show that night if it weren't for Doug Goodman , Mike Faley from Metal Blade and about 15 other people, and fans from the club surrounding me as they escorted me into the club for the show. im tellin you-i have always known ever since that day that it is possible that one of us could be easily be killed doing what we do.but dwelling on that does no good at all,you really cant protect yourself too much from fate or whatever.but i know what we can ALL do. we can celebrate each of our lives everyday by doing the things we enjoy like going to shows and embracing music with all our heart and not being afraid. because that's what its all about. doing all we can while we are here and have a good fucking time doin it-thats what ive been doin and what i plan on doing for a long fuckin time, because life is too short my friends-rip Dime.you fuckin rule! FROM CHARLIE BENANTE; WHY?????? Dimebag brought the life out of everyone he met, why would anyone take his???? My phone has been ringing off the hook, everyone asking if it was true? I didn't want to accept the reality, HOW COULD DARRELL BE GONE? I just saw him! and just listened to the message he left me today. I loved him, he was a true Friend. The phone calls in the middle of the night , talking about this and that. Playing KINGS X or KISS licks over the phone. I remember this one time we were both going through these anxiety attacks. I never had them, nor did he. We were talking about how we stopped them. I quit drinking alcohol and coffee and he said that he started drinking MORE ALCOHOL! HAHAHA, that was him. I had some great times with him, he always put you in a good mood, DAMMIT! What the fuck is wrong with people?? How the fuck does someone get into a club with a loaded gun, HOW?? WHY?? I thought for a minute about this - John Lennon was murdered the same way on the same DAY, some strange coincidence? (sorry, I'm delirious right now) This guy didn't wait till after the show , he did it on stage. How fucking horrific. All those people freaking out, watching this happen. This will change things for the music world. It won't be the same vibe at shows... this is scary. Dime was special, those who knew him would attest to that.... My heart goes out to Vinnie and Rita as well as the others who were injured. Go play your PANTERA CDs or your Damage Plan CD. Remember him for his music and his guitar playing, he was the best! I love you Bro', I'll miss your face. Give him a double. whewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww cryin' and sobbin' - CB SCOT IAN; I am devastated as I'm sure we all are. All I can convey at this moment are my condolences to Rita and Vinnie and the whole family. My heart is with you. Love, Scott PS - I'm stunned. I don't have words for this. My logical brain keeps trying to make sense of it. It's just horrible. Humanity is an oxymoron GEORGE LYNCH; I remember the first time I met dime was back in the mid 80”s. Pantera played with Dokken a lot in Texas. There was a chain of hard rock venues called Cardi’s and we would frequently share the stage with Pantera. This was without Phil and they were more of a hair band and Dime wasn’t called “Dime” yet and his playing was more in the VH vein. I remember him and his band standing right at the front of the stage during our set and rocking out. He was just a skinny kid back then. He went on after us and just tore it up. I knew he was a special player that night. We talked a lot about gear. I remember he really liked the Randall RG-100’s I was using and planned on checking them out. I’ve run into him a few other times over the years. Lynch Mob did some dates with them in the early 90s and we partied pretty hard. I remember thinking how can he drink this much and still play his ass off like he does. I saw Dime and Vinnie at the NAMM show last year in Anaheim and they invited my daughter Mariah and I into their limo to listen to their new project, Damageplan. That blew us me away. I guess there was a lot of bad blood between Phil and the brothers. I wonder if there was any connection between what happened to Dime and that running feud? Dimebag’s playing was imaginative, soulful and technical. His music was brutal and unrelenting as was the manner in which he died. There’s no use in trying to make sense of the tragedy, just appreciate what he gave us in his life. Events like this make me long for the good old days when our rock stars just OD’d and slipped away quietly into oblivion. George Lynch MERCEDES LANDER; I dont know how to begin or end this. Someone that ment the world to me was shot to death last night... this is still not real to me... Im still waiting to wake up from this nightmare... it doesnt even feel real... Dime was awesome to me in every way... He took me under his wing when I was 16 and taught me everything I know about what I do... Dime and Vinnie treated me like I was a younger sister and I saw both of them as older brothers... The truth is, is that they didnt have to be nice to me and treat me as well as they did but they did because they are good people. I had so many awsome nights throughout the years of just drinking and talking. Some people even started calling me the "cowgirl from hell". I looked up to Dime and Vinnie so much because I saw myself and my sister in them... They made me want to work even harder at my dreams and reach the level that they were at... they are the closest thing I had to heros. I cant believe something like this could have happened in the metal community. I am at a loss of words to describe how I feel. I am so angry and frustrated... I dont think I will ever understand this senceless act. I cant believe this happened. It hurts so much right now. Whats even worse is that I cant even believe what Vinnie is going through. You are one of the most amazing people in the world... I will miss you dearly... All I can think about is all the awesome times we had together... it scares me that I wont be able to have that again. You were loved by so many people... You will be missed. Mercedes Lander XOXO CANNIBAL CORPSE; Cannibal Corpse and crew would like to send their condolences to the families, friends and fans that were involved in the pointless and tragic event in Colombus. We are feeling the loss also and would like to give sympathy to those lives lost, Dimebag Darrell, Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, Nathan Bray and Erin Halk. Rest in Peace. VENOM; We are all in shock at the very sad news of the shooting at the Damage Plan concert, this news has left everyone feeling numb, all of Venom offer their sympathy to the families of the deceased & injured. Cronos commented: "I'm devastated by this news, Damage Plan are all good mates, I've known Dimebag since the early days of Pantera, he was such a great bloke, words can't describe how sad I feel."
Dimebag Darrell Killed Shooter climbs onstage, shoots Damageplan guitarist and three others Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell (born Darrell Abbott) was shot dead at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, last night. Soon after the band began playing, a gunman charged the stage and began firing at the band and into the crowd. Three others were killed before a police officer fatally shot the gunman. Abbott, 38, was formerly a member of Texas thrash metal giants Pantera. The shooter -- identified as Nathan Gale, 25, of Marysville, Ohio -- dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and hockey jersey, jumped onstage at about 10 p.m., just as Damageplan were beginning their first song. Gale then shot Abbott in the chest five or six times at close range and then turned his gun on the crowd of hundreds. Among those killed were fan Nathan Bray, 23, and Erin Halk, 29, who was either a fan or band employee -- the third victim and two wounded, currently at Riverside Methodist Hospital, have not yet been named. District patrol officer James D. Niggemeyer, 31, responded within minutes to the call about shooting inside the club, entering through the back door to investigate. The officer then fatally shot the gunman, who at the time was holding an unidentified hostage by the neck. Approximately 250 out of the 450 audience members (the club holds approximately 600) are currently being questioned by police. Amateur video was also shot during the show, but investigators have not yet determined whether any of the incident was caught on tape. Formed in early 2003 soon after the breakup of Pantera, Damageplan also includes singer Patrick Lachman, bassist Bob Zilla and Abbott's brother, ex-Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul. Their debut album, New Found Power, was released last February.
Anselmo Mourns Dimebag Ex-bandmate vows to retreat from spotlight after guitarist's death Phil Anselmo broke his silence about the death of his former Pantera bandmate "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott with a videotaped statement released to the media this week. Abbott and three others were killed when a gunman charged the stage and opened fire on December 8th at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio, just after Abbott's band Damageplan began playing. "I love him like a brother loves a brother," Anselmo said. "I'm so sorry to his family and everyone else who was senselessly killed in Columbus, Ohio." In deference to the wishes of Abbott's family, Anselmo did not attend the guitarist's funeral in Dallas on Tuesday. The two had feuded in the press since Pantera's acrimonious split in 2003, with Anselmo recently telling Metal Hammer magazine that Abbott "deserves to be beaten severely," and "I could kill him like a fuckin' piece of vapor." Anselmo -- who has been fronting his own band, Superjoint Ritual -- sounded contrite in his current statement, saying, "I never got a chance to say goodbye in the right way, and it kills me, and I'm so sorry. This has changed the entire world, and this is the last you'll be seeing of me for a long time." Anselmo's Web site is currently black.
Philip H Anselmo; On Behalf of Darrell Lance Abbott-Pt. I I’ve been stumbling around in a coma of loss. No truer lyric has been written than “You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘til it’s gone.” To explain my side of things with the hiatus of Pantera, please give me a moment and think about what I say. Think. I joined the band in late ‘86/early ‘87, and the chemistry clicked like a vice grip, we hit it off like four bad mother fuckers could. Perfection. Dime, Vince and Rex could play fucking anything. You pick the style, they could pull it off. So in reality we had to find out where our musical hearts lay strongest. After short deliberation, our intention was to be the most devastating ‘hard core-heavy metal’ band in the world. You know, when the so called heavy metal press first got wind of ‘Cowboys from Hell’ they were absolutely unsure what to think. More bad reviews than good at the time. The Reason? They had never heard a band quite like us before, and I can’t blame the press or anyone for not hearing the full experience, but there were flashes in songs like ‘Primal Concrete Sledge’, and “Message in Blood’. Once again as I have said before, the press remained basically unimpressed, BUT, with the heavy metal audience, the phenomenon of Pantera had already begun. Slowly but surely, the fan base grew larger and larger (the best fans in the world I say still!) The LP that I believe was the first ‘true’ Pantera LP was our second major release ‘Vulgar Display of Power’. As a band, our brotherhood and obvious originality and musicianship cemented us as one of the most feared and loved bands ever to step on a stage. That, is what we all lived for. We figured as long as our awesome audience was moved (head banging, skanking, stage diving, of course) we would play for us and them. Of course we had a deep connection with both our music and our audience, and we were also very different, image and attitude wise… It was extremely rare to see a lead vocalist or anyone with a shaved head unless you looked deep into the underground with bands like the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Rose Tattoo, etc…(I didn’t mean to leave anyone out). The difference between us and these great bands was the fact that we also had an insanely great guitar player who was respected alongside the best of the best, and a rhythm section so unique and tight, goddamn they were tight, tight is and always will be the word. I guarantee throughout our 17 year existence it would be extremely difficult to have one memory of Rex or Vince messing up or playing a part wrong ever. That to some people may be amazing or impossible, however I mean what I say 100 times over. They were the best damn musicians I’d ever seen or heard. Period. With ’Far Beyond Driven’, our 3rd major offering, going to #1 on the Billboard top #200, it seems appropriate to say that some Rock Magazines were taking notice, one way or another. Guitar magazines throughout the world were right on the money by calling Dimebag the best axe man of the time. That was absolutely true and within his lead style, influenced by the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Ace Frehley, and himself (it’s true, I believe most all great lead guitar players have their own style to hear and influence. By god Darrell had that type of talent and then some). His rhythms he came up with, in ways, probably became even more influential. His influences were extremely varied and unique from guys like James Hetfield (Metallica), Kerry King and Jeff Hannemen (Slayer), Judas Priest to Motorhead, AC/DC, ZZ top, Robin Trower and even some of the ultra underground bands I would play him. In all honesty he preferred a more accomplished guitar player than some of the rawer sloppier stuff that I adored, but what he did love about the rawer stuff was its all out assault on the ears. Bless him, he did love that. Within his style he commanded and demanded the best out of himself, and all of us around him. So I will say to everyone in Texas that ever called me a friend, and especially all of my brothers that helped work with us as Pantera on the road crew; I love all of you. To the fans in Texas, and the rest across America and the world, beware of the shit you read in rock magazines. When these pathetically titled ‘journalists’ (not all of them, but a lot still), had finally caught on to the fact that we, Pantera, had beaten all the odds a band could, and the press had no choice but to build us up until it seemed that they were all of a sudden desperate to make us supermen in the magazines, it was an assignment. It wasn’t true to them, they were getting paid for it. We weren’t supermen, just a great band. During our whole career, there were always those interviews where you could tell that the ’journalist’ didn’t know shit about our band, using wrong facts, whether they made us look good or bad, not knowing a thing about our characters, our musicianship, or our careers; asking the same questions, or as ’journalists’ love to do, just plain making up whatever they wanted. For every ‘journalist’ out there, these facts may or may not fit in with the way you personally do your work , but I know and so the fuck do you that this load of bullshit behavior, that thousands of fans read on a regular basis, is absolutely irresponsible, and it’s obvious that you truly don’t care about your responsibilities to the fans, or how many lives you truly destroy. It’s all about what sells magazines, isn’t it? A month has gone by since we, his former band mates, his current band mates, his friends and fans around the world, have lost Dimebag. I can’t necessarily speak for them, but for me, it’s the first thing that comes to mind when I awake, if I sleep at all, still. It is also the last thing I think about as I lay down to rest. God damn it still hurts me. I want to be there for Vinnie Paul no matter how long it takes. I want to be there for Rita if she’ll have me. I want to be there for the Kat and the rest of the crew as well, people that have been a part of my life for 17 ½ years. Once again, I’m hoping my biggest hope; that they realize that the bad stuff written about our bands and ourselves was coerced nonsense made to sell magazines. Bare with me, please. I beg you all. By the way, all of the level headed fans that write in and offer support, that in itself is the best therapy I’ve received yet. I have considered retirement because of a broken heart, but also in my heart, I cannot let my fans down. As the days go by I realize that I’m at war with some things inside of myself, that I don’t mind sharing with you: I always, truly always, no matter if it was my own dreams just coming to the surface, if we, just the four of us, were to sit in a room together, we’d have been laughing, crying, and laughing again. The weight of the world would be lifted off of our shoulder as we hugged each other. Play together again? I have a suspicion that our fans would demand some type of reunion. My god I thought of that so many times and because what our fans wanted, they usually got. It may have taken a little longer, but think about how long it took the original Black Sabbath to play together again!? Then in one night early December, 2004, an event changed the entire year and our entire lives into one of the cruelest sort. Some mentally disturbed individual …crushed the dream. He took one of the most talented, extroverted people ever to grace this earth. I’m crushed for the loss of my friend that I loved, for Vince his brother, for Jerry his father, for Rita his life companion, for all of his good friends, for every music fan that was inspired and loved his playing; especially those who were lost or were injured that night we lost Darrell. None of what I have said will ever bring him back, and it hurts so bad. I add very humbly in hope that no one else out there ever has to go through something like this; Keep your loved ones close. Yours Truly, I can take no more at this time- Philip H Anselmo
Friends Remember Dimebag Artists from Anthrax to Korn reflect on slain Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, known for his ferocious guitar riffs, was also "larger than life" to his friends, who remember him as both hard-partying and a "gentle spirit." Soon after Abbott's band Damageplan began playing their gig at the Alrosa Villa club Wednesday night, a gunman charged the stage and shot him before turning his gun on the audience. Abbott and three others were killed before a patrol officer was able to fatally shot the attacker. Abbott, 38, was formerly a member of Texas thrash metal giants Pantera, whose longtime lineup also included singer Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown and drummer (and Abbott's brother) Vinnie Paul. 1990's Cowboys From Hell and 1992's Vulgar Display of Power -- with its classic metal tracks "Walk" and "Mouth for War" -- put them at the heart of heavy metal, peaking when their 1994 album, Far Beyond Driven, debuted at Number One. Not long after Pantera's breakup, Abbott and Paul formed Damageplan in early 2003, along with singer Patrick Lachman and bassist Bob Zilla. Their debut album, New Found Power, was released last February. Abbott's friends and peers talked to Rolling Stone about the thrash metal legend.. Dave Mustaine; I knew him by wanting to play with him. We had Pantera open for Megadeth in the U.S. and in Europe. When you get to the level of guitar playing that I'm at and that he was at, the air is pretty thin up there . . . Darrell was a really gentle spirit and pretty easygoing guy. Society is looking at this and saying, "This is heavy metal." That's not heavy metal, that's a random act. Zakk Wylde; He was beyond beautiful. When he'd walk in the room, he'd light it up. Fuck the guitar playing -- he's right up there with Eddie and Randy and Hendrix. All he wanted to do was make everyone happy. He was the ray of sunshine. Dime will never die ever -- he's in my veins. He's sitting at God's tavern, having a cold one with Randy Rhoads and Hendrix. Dime was an original. Jonathan Davis of Korn In the Eighties, honestly, I was more into dance music, New Romantic music like Depeche Mode. Vulgar Display of Power totally opened my eyes to a more traditional kind of metal. That made me go, "I want to be in a band like this. This is the shit." I really became a huge fan of Pantera, especially with what Darrell did. I'll never forget that trademark fucking flying "V" guitar of his and his crazy, dyed fucking goatee and insane, undeniable riffs that he wrote that have been copied I don't know how many fucking times. He was one of the last great, traditional metal guitarists of our day. He was just a legend. It seems like all the great guitar players get taken early. I remember when Fieldy took me my first Pantera concert, back in '92, '93. We both started breaking out crying because it was so fucking insane, so intense. You just get goose bumps, how badass that shit is . . . I feel numb that that shit can even happen. The metal community is such a tight community, everyone is just feeling it. I feel so fucking bad for his brother because those two were inseparable. I could tell Darrell was so full of fucking life and such a cool guy -- he was just the life of the party. He knew how to live life to its fullest, took everything in excess and just made life bigger than it is. The guy was so fucking cool.
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