Dimebag Darrell – A Tribute

Today (August 20) marks what would have been Dimebag Darrell’s 43rd birthday. In tribute to Dimebag, I wanted to write a post honoring his life and his contributions to not only metal, but to his friends, family and all of us fans.

Darrell Lance Abbott was born August 20, 1966 to Carolyn and Jerry Abbott in Dallas, TX. His father owned a recording studio in Dallas, and as a child Darrell would be inspired by the many country and blues artists that he’d see come and go. Upon discovering Kiss, and more specifically guitarist Ace Frehley, Darrell became interested in heavy metal. Inspired, he started entering guitar talent competitions as a teenager. After winning pretty much everything he entered, he knew that his course was set. In the early 80’s, Darrell started going by the name “Diamond” and formed Pantera with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Rex Smith. With frontman Terry Glaze, the early glam metal style of Pantera was influenced by bands such as Def Leppard and Judas Priest. After releasing three albums (1983’s Metal Magic, 1984’s Projects in the Jungle, and 1985’s I Am the Night), Terry Glaze left the band.

Pantera then found a young singer by the name of Phil Anselmo, and the history of metal was changed forever. Disowning their three previous albums, Pantera began to reinvent their sound. In 1990, Cowboys from Hell was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world, featuring a much heavier style. However, with their release of Vulgar Display of Power in 1992, Pantera cemented their position as legends of metal. In 1994, Darrell changed his name from “Diamond” to “Dimebag”. 1996’s The Great Southern Trendkill earned the band their first Grammy nomination for “Suicide Note, Pt. 1”, and 1997’s release of Official Live: 101 Proof earned them yet another Grammy nod for their live version of “Cemetery Gates”.

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Simply called “Dime” by most of his friends, Dimebag was known as the friendliest, most giving person most had ever met. Fans in Texas considered Dime to be the “people’s rock star”, as he was known to eat at chain restaurants and wave “hello” to fans while strolling through a local Target store. He was very approachable, and Dime never seemed to let stardom go to his head. Rarely seen without his favorite drink (called a “Black Tooth Grin“) in his hand, friends said that Dime lived his rock and roll lifestyle with grace. He enjoyed dousing his friends and family with gifts, and cherished the time that he spent with them. Dimebag Darrell was a class act.

In 2003, Pantera broke up, leading Dimebag and brother Vince to form Damageplan with Pat Lachman on vocals and bassist Bob Zilla rounding out the new band. In February, 2004, Damageplan released their debut album New Found Power, which sold 44,676 copies it’s first week, debuting at number 38 on the Billboard 200. Tragedy struck the night of December 8, 2004, when Damageplan took the stage at Alrosa in Columbus, OH.

During the band’s opening song, 25 year old Nathan Gale rushed across the stage and opened fire on Dimebag Darrell, hitting him several times and killing him instantly. Gale then killed three other people and wounded two more before being shot and killed by a Columbus police officer. I would write about his motives, but this article isn’t about the deranged man that murdered several people and took a legend from us, it’s about honoring one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Dimebag Darrell Abbott. His death has been covered, and while we still grieve for the loss of such a phenomenal brother… I believe that we should celebrate his life, and all that he gave to us in his years of performing.

RIP, Dime. We love you.

[images: ZUMA Press]