The death of Dimebag Darrell

[anythinggoes]

Here is a tribute page set up by launchcast with Pantera and Damage Plan Videos along with pictures and a place to post messages.

http://launch.yahoo.com/promos/dimebag/

[Malcolm]

MTV News reports: Having befriended DAMAGEPLAN drum tech John "Kat" Brooks before the group's show in Columbus, Ohio Wednesday night (Dec. , 28-year-old Kevin Holycross found himself standing off to the side of the stage as the band began performing. "The beginning of the nightmare," as he called it, started 40 seconds into the first song, when gunman Nathan Gale walked up to the guitarist and "shot him in the side of the head, almost point blank".The crowd, not registering what happened, continued clapping and screaming, Holycross said, with people leaning over the balconies shouting, "It's a hoax! It's a hoax!" But knowing it wasn't, Brooks began screaming, "What the f---? What the f---?" Holycross said.Holycross followed Brooks to the side of the stage, where a security guard was trying to subdue Gale and got shot as a result. As the shots continued ? one hitting Brooks in the leg ? people began to realize what was happening and started screaming, "Call 911!" as they ducked for cover.In the midst of the chaos, Gale remained calm."He wasn't screaming," Holycross said. "Everybody's screaming at him, but I didn't see his mouth move one time. He didn't look like he was flipping out, you know what I mean? You'd expect somebody [who'd do this] to be crazy and jumpy, real sketchy. But he was calm and collected. He wasn't rapidly firing shots, he wasn't back and forth with his gun. He seemed to know his targets.

Dave Lavender of The Herald-Dispatch is reporting that in Nashville, opening up a 40,000-square-foot club called The Red Iguana, long-time Huntington-based promoter Rick Widdifield already has been dealing with some of the fallout from the Columbus, Ohio, shootings that left a popular guitarist dead on stage and four others dead.
Widdifield, of American Promotions, which books national acts into such Huntington live music venues as Banana Joe's Island Party and the newly renamed Huntington Music Hall inside the Monkey Bar, said clubs will be adding more security measures and restricting entrances and exits."We had more than 2,500 people through the door and we have had heightened security and had to hire additional people here because there is seven exits in the club," Widdifield said of the Nashville club.Widdifield, who said the next big live club show is Kid Rock's DJ, DJ Paradigm at the MonkeyBar Jan. 14, said the two Huntington venues already have restricted entry, strict dress codes and mandatory coat checks at the entrance.

[Malcolm]

DANZIG bassist Jerry Montano has sent the following statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in regards to the tragic death of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:"I just wanted to say my heart goes out to Vince, Rita, and the entirePANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN family. We lost undoubtfully the greatest metal guitarist of all time and a great friend."I had the honor of calling [Dimebag] a friend and even bandmember at one time (I was lucky enough to play bass for Dime and Vinnie's side band GASOLINE). I have to say just being next to him while he was playing his guitar was always a sacred experience ? he was truly unbelievable when it came to his playing, but he really shined when it came to being a friend."I can remember during reheasal one day or night (who the fuck knows at that point, right?!!) after the four of us finished playing (fourth being my boy Thurber T. Mingus, our singer and friend from the southern metal band PUMPJACK). Dime and I were hangin having a few beers in the back. I remember asking him, 'How the FUCK do you do it man!!!?' and he looked at me with a very humble look and said, 'Man, I just close my eyes and it comes right through my body my hands and outta my guitar.' I remember him telling me he doesn't even know what's gonna come out of him when he records his solos and that it was a gift given to him from god that he never questions."Truly amazing."He was THE ONE THE ONLY and there will NEVER be another."Words like kind, caring, loving, generous amazing, undeniable, compassionate and god-sized are what come to mind when thinking about this kind man I had the privilege of getting to know very well over the years."And there is the touring we did together ... I swear, [it] literally has taken years and years off all of our lives!! GODDAMN! Ozzfest!! Reinventing tour!! Those four months alone almost did me in ? literally! I remember he was as excited as me when I landed the NOTHINGFACE gig, and gave us the tour immediately!! (Good times). I will never forget one word, one moment, or one note for as long as I exist. EVER."I just needed to say you'll be greatly missed my brother (I still feel like I am gonna get 4- and 5- and 6-in-the-morning phone calls fom you!!). You will never be forgotten ? and [you] truly made an impact on my life forever."So let's sit back and remember the good times, all the wild and insane times and the quiet cool mellow hung over times, and know the entire world lost a friend and hero. So now he graduates from this life to go on to his destiny as the greatest metal guitarist of all time, a true bonafide LEGEND."CHEERS to you, my friend!!! 'I'll see you on the other side.' At the great bar in the sky. Until then, you'll forever be in our hearts.
(Just like you always said!) C'MON with your C'MON!!!"With all my love, respect, admiration... and with great regret, I now say goodbye."GODS NEVER DIE ? DIME LIVES"


 Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach honored "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's memory by performing PANTERA's "Walk" with his band during a concert in Madrid, Spain Friday night (Dec. 10). Sebastian reportedly sounded angry and upset over his friend's tragic death as he lifted up a poster of Dimebag that someone from the 1,500-strong crowd had thrown up on stage.

LINKIN PARK promoted their hardcover collection of behind-the-scenes photos "From the Inside: Linkin Park's Meteora" with a fan autograph session in Los Angeles, New York and Dublin. Asked by The San Francisco Chronicle if the shooting incident in Columbus that left DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott gave him chills with regards to his own band's security, LINKIN PARK rapper, production whiz and graphic designer Mike Shinoda said, "Absolutely. You can't hear that story and not be concerned. If there was anything I would say to the fans, it would be knowing where to draw the line. It is one thing to be a big fan of the group and something else to cross over the line. You'd like to keep everybody safe and keep yourself safe."

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford has issued the following statement in regards to the tragic death of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:
"Hello everyone. My deepest condolences go out to everyone affected regarding the passing of dimebag. His mucianship was superb and his original style was and will remain an inspiration to players worldwide. His friendship can never be replaced."I first met Dime in 1991. I was in Toronto preparing for the 'Painkiller' tour. I had MuchMusic TV on and saw this guy talking about metal and wearing a 'British Steel' shirt. From what he was saying and the PANTERA video that aired I knew right away that this man was a guitar god!"I called MuchMusic and spoke to Dime and that night went to a club and hung with the band. We jammed 'Metal Gods'. From that point on, he and the rest of the band became solid friends. My gut feeling was that this band would be huge.So PANTERA toured with PRIEST all over Europe. Many a night I would stand off stage and watch them tear up city after city leaving everyone stunned by their intense performances. It was a thrill to watch and hear Dime invent and advance with his playing. Soon the world became Panterarised!"Of course, so much has happened since those early times and I feel that it's important now that however we take the turn of events in recent years we all stay true to the same belief that Dimebag had about his love of metal, which was to play your heart out and be real wherever you are! Some things that happen in life make no sense at all, but out of pain comes strength, and I know the metal community will take that strength and use it as an enduring memory for Dimebag."Love never dies."

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has issued the following statement in memory of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:"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."I'll have a double waiting for you on stage. Rest in peace, bro."

[Malcolm]

Philip Anselmo's (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, DOWN, ex-PANTERA) friend "J" has posted the following message on the official DOWN forum in regards to the tragic death of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:

"I don't have a big official statement. I do have a lot of inside knowledge on the PANTERA feud from Philip's side and tonight he gave me the green light to let everyone else in on what I know. He trusts me to do this, and I take 100 percent responsibility for anything that is inaccurate, but I'm confident you all know I'm not going to touch on this subject unless it's from the heart. He didn't even give me any specifics except for the final part of this post... he just wants me to tell people what I know to be true.

"Philip loved Darrell like a brother, always. They accomplished things together that most wouldn't even dare to dream. None of us can know what it's like to be riding such a big machine, it changes the face of music and brings joy millions of people's lives around the globe. The rewards are big, but the stress is unimaginable if things don't go perfectly. Yes, PANTERA broke up and there was a lot of shit-talking through the media. There are two people on this board who would periodically ask me about what's going to happen with PANTERA in the future. I told them each time that I don't know when, but I'm 100 percent sure that we will see PANTERA together again. I told them that when PANTERA does get back together, you will know somebody who never lost faith, not for a second. Why did I tell them this? Because I know Philip loves those guys and when he was ready, he would reach out to them and try to make it work again. I had the feeling that one morning (afternoon maybe), all the 'Cowboys From Hell' boys would just roll out of the rack and say 'Let's go!'

"Of all the time I've spent with Rex and Philip, I never badgered them about PANTERA, but the subject did come up every once in a while. As for Rex, he would refer to the state of things simply as 'silly nonsense.' All I ever got out of Philip was something like 'Nyaaaa... I just don't feel like sitting down and writing PANTERA riffs right now.' ... and that's it! No crazy accusations, name-calling, or carrying on. As a matter of fact, in the middle of all the heat, Philip described Vinnie as 'the perfect drummer' and that Vinnie could drum more perfect than a drum machine if he so chose. What he said of Dime, he also repeated tonight. 'The best of the best.'

"It's sad that the media would irritate the situation so much. Countless times, Kate and I would listen in on Phil doing interviews. Always, always, always, the jackals wanted PANTERA dirt. Sometimes Philip would give it to them, sometimes he would not. However every single time I was there, he expressed his love for, and wished luck to Vinnie and Dime but that was somehow left out of the final print more times than not. I was at Philip's house a few weeks ago and I informed him that I handle the official PANTERA site now, and he asked me if I talked to Dime. I said, 'No, when was the last time YOU talked to him?' With a sigh, he said 'Three years.' Not a 'Fuckin right 3 years' not a 'Yeah three years and it's gonna be three more'... but the dude was genuinely disappointed about the situation. I could tell... the time to patch things up was drawing near.

"There's more I want to share, but it's almost 5AM right now, and I just managed to hold myself together long enough to get that out.

"Philip isn't hiding out or waiting for the right moment to speak, he's in Texas right now searching for answers to this tragedy the best he can. There was one thing he asked of me, that I humbly bring to you all:

"'Darrell my brother. The best of the best.'

[Furious Styles]

DAVE MUSTAINE Apologizes To METALLICA, Promises To Be More Like DIMEBAG - Dec. 11, 2004
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following message on the group's official message board:

"Droogies!

"Tonight I had the honor and priveledge to host a special [MTV2 'Headbanger's Ball'] tribute to the life of Darrel 'Dimebag' Abbott.

"I went out to NYC Thursday at 9:30 PM on a redeye to do this, and during the period since then, I have had a good amount of time to reflect on my own life.

"I realized how fortunate I am, and have been to have met some of you, and in some cases become friends with many of you.

"What is bothering me is the people who I have not been able to meet, or worse, have met and ended up not being friends with. There are many.

"I would like to, in honor of Darrel's life, learn from him and how many friends he apparently had made.

"Over my career I have a lot of cleaning up to do on my side of the street as well as letting things go, for once and for all; I need to apologize to many people and also to forgive and quit holding grudges.

"Having said that, if there is something I did to you or someone you know, please give me the opportunity to make this right.

"To SLAYER and METALLICA: I am sorry for whatever I may have done in the past and wish to make it right, to put it behind us. Please let me know how and when we can talk this out.

"To previous bandmembers and managers: I say the same to you.

"To all the MEGADETH/METALLICA fans: from this day forward, there will never be another unkind word from my mouth perpetuating this silly 22-year-old feud.

"And to heavy metal fans around the world: I am going to emulate Dimebag by being more like him; more friendly, and more interested in your lives too, I promise.

"I am grateful to have been asked to come in this hour of darkness to represent us all as we come together and heal as a worldwide music community, and I would be a fraud if I didn't say I need to do more to better represent.

"Thank you in advance for your forgiveness and for your support."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even in death Dimebag can spread goodwill towards his fellow man  RIP Darrell

[Evolution]

R.I.P Darrell


This is one fucked up occurance

[Slashisthebest]

My deepest sympathies to Darrell's friends and family.  That is a horrible thing.  I read that on VH1 yesterday then saw a Uranium tribute to Darrell on Fuse last night.  I havent heard any of his stuff, but I am still shocked and horrified that this could happen to a beloved entertainer.  God I hope this never happens again.

Rest In Peace Darrell, from a fellow guitarist to another.

Slashisthebest

Keep on Rockin in Heaven man!

[Malcolm]

 A BLABBERMOUTH.NET visitor has sent us the following message regarding the shooting incident at a Columbus, Ohio nightclub last Wednesday (Dec. , which resulted in the death of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:
"The information I have concerning the incident in the Columbus nightclub was that a friend of mine went to see DAMAGEPLAN in Cincinnati over the summer. He said there was a large man there that jumped on stage right after Dimebag came out, and the man tried to assault him. But he was stopped by security."After I heard what happened Wednesday night, I wondered if this was the same man in Columbus, because he was also described as a large man."My friend is now on active duty so I was not able to ask him about it. I did call the Columbus Police [Department] and they told me a couple people had called them already and told them what had happened in Cincinnati."[This information] may not be much, but maybe if security had been better, this guy might not have been able to get on stage two times in a row, if in fact this was the same man both times, and all this might have been prevented."

QUEEN guitar legend Brian May has posted the following message on his official web site, BrianMay.com:"We are all gutted to hear of the senseless and tragic death of Dimebag Darrell, who was shot by a 'fan' who climbed on the stage at a show of his new band, DAMAGEPLAN. He was, of course, better known for his great playing in PANTERA.
"PANTERA were, I think, the first band that I and my son Jimmy both got equally excited about. It was Jimmy who first got me to see them. They were a great band, and Dimebag was an innovative and passionate player."Great musician. Terrible loss. My respects to him, to his family and friends. Also to those who were killed trying to save him and apprehend the gunman."RIP."


I know this is total councidence but its pretty wierd..K Dimebag was killed on the 8th..As we know thats the day John Lennon was killed..It was also Jim Morrisons birthday but also it was the day that the car crash between Vince Neil and the Hanoi Rocks drummer happened (which infortunately resulted in Rocks drummers death)...Vince Neil was also driving a Ford Pantera...Like i said this is councidence but quite wierd

[Furious Styles]

 

I still can't believe he's gone...

[Gunner80]

Thanks for keeping us up to date on this tragic event Malcolm.

[Malcolm]

Singer Mike D. Williams of EYEHATEGOD, which features in its ranks SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist Jimmy Bower, has posted the following message at his Southern Nihilism Front web site:
"I know by now you've all heard this bullshit [about Dimebag being shot to death]... It's sad as fuck. I can't even put into words the scope of the violence involved in this... A couple of my other friends were shot as well.
"The fucked up thing is that the shooter was apparently pissed 'cos PANTERA broke up... The goddamn irony of it all is (nothing was set in stone), but they were just starting to talk about doing some reunion shows and put all their petty differences aside.
"What a fuckin shame... I got tons a stories about how much fun we had whenever we hung w/ Dime, staying at his house, BBq'ing and generally getting blitzed, cuttin' up and talkin' trash... Blasting D.A. COE and KISS with that freakin dry ice machine/light show in his living room(!!) and even going fishing w/him in Arlington. We'll never forget all that. The dude lived to have a good time. "...Roll the dice and do a shot of Blacktooth for ya boy..."


QUIET RIOT frontman Kevin DuBrow has issued the following statement in memory of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott:"I did not know Darrell as well as many others but well enough to know that he was a really, really nice person in a business full of phonies."Darrell and Vinnie came to most of the QUIET RIOT shows in Dallas and used to rent a limo and come to some of our other shows in Texas."Darrell was always wanting everyone to come with them and hang out. He was a real fun-loving type of person, as is Vinnie."My condolences go out to Darrell's family and to Vinnie in particular. This was senseless and frightening. We have played this club many times and unlike the Rhode Island club it is one of the few remaining good rock clubs. The owner Rick Kate was always a gentlemen to us."Darrell was a Randy Rhoads fan and we spoke about it a couple times. What a waste. He will be missed."


 A public memorial for DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott will be held at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, December 14 beginning at 8:00 p.m. (not 9:00 p.m. as originally reported).

Arlington Convention Center
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, TX
(817) 459-5000

People wishing to sign the official obituary guestbook for Abbott can do so at Legacy.com.

[moreblack]

so sad...

Rest in Peace Dime. Shred in heaven like the Guitar God you always were.

[GnR_Kel_UK]

Yeah.....

R.I.P Dimebag 

[Hammy]

This is crazy shit, i know it's a bit late but R.I.P. Dimebag

[Malcolm]

 The family of slain DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott has requested a "Kiss Kasket" (photo) for Abbott to be buried in, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons revealed during an appearance on Fox News' "The Big Story Weekend Edition with Rita Cosby" on Saturday (Dec. 11). The coffin features the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words "Kiss Forever". A transcript of Simmons' appearance on the program follows:

Rita Cosby: Gene, it's great to see you, my friend. I wish it was under better circumstances.

Gene Simmons: Thank you, thank you.

Cosby: Now, I understand there was something special. This just came down recently. Darrell Abbott's family requested something sort of special tied with your band. Tell us about it.

Simmons: Well, I wasn't really prepared to talk about it, but the family requested, as a personal issue between the family and the grieving people who are going to be there, to send a Kiss Kasket. We initially did it as a promotion. And you know, I think it meant a lot to Darrell when, you know ? when he was alive, he gave lots of people great joy. I mean he had the band tattooed onto his chest. He was a major figure in rock and roll. He's going to be greatly missed. And the family wish ? you know the one last wish they had was that he be buried in a Kiss Kasket. And I think it's a private matter for the family and the fans actually.

Cosby: No, and I think that's beautiful that that's happening, too, because I'm sure, it obviously, as you said, meant a lot to him. How big of a shock was this? You know this guy really was a legend and so well respected in the industry. How big of a shock was it to you, Gene, when you heard what happened?

Simmons: You know it's about as shocking as it can get. The unfortunate thing is that the media will tend to sort of look at the visuals, you know, the flying hair and the crazy look and all of the over- the-top stuff, which is what performing is all about. But people forget that underneath all of that, actually, Darrell was a very, very sweet guy, very upstanding, very quiet in his own way, immensely talented. PANTERA was a very, very important band. And I'm sure all the fans are going to miss him very much. I know I do.

We ? KISS played at the stadium in Argentina and we invited PANTERA to join us. And it was one of the highlights of any of the tours we have ever played. Darrell was just a sweet guy.

[Malcolm]

BLABBERMOUTH.NET has received the following (unconfirmed) tip from what has previously proven to be a reliable source close to the DAMAGEPLAN/Abbott camp:

"I won't give any details on who exactly was at Dime's funeral or who is planning on staying for the public memorial. But I will tell you that Phil Anselmo [ex-PANTERA, currently in SUPERJOINT RITUAL] came to Dallas and was barred from all events. He was told that he was not welcome."

If you are attending tonight's public memorial for Darrell Abbott in Arlington, Texas, BLABBERMOUTH.NET would like to hear from you. Please send all first-hand reports and photos to the e-mail address listed in the "Contact" section of this web site (using the navigation above).

[Gunner80]

BLABBERMOUTH.NET has received the following (unconfirmed) tip from what has previously proven to be a reliable source close to the DAMAGEPLAN/Abbott camp:

"I won't give any details on who exactly was at Dime's funeral or who is planning on staying for the public memorial. But I will tell you that Phil Anselmo [ex-PANTERA, currently in SUPERJOINT RITUAL] came to Dallas and was barred from all events. He was told that he was not welcome."

I hope he wasn't barred from the funeral.

[Will]

What's the story between Anselmo and Darrell? Kind of a Slash/ Axl thing?

[D]

i doubt that was the same guy in cincinnatti

cincy is probably a good 3 or 4 hours away from columbus and that dude from the description didnt seem like someone who would have the means to travel that far but u never know

id say it was coincidental but u never know.

[Lady Livin]

Funny how you guys aren't the least bit shocked at Mustaine's recent sentiments. They're not shocking sentiments in themselves, but coming from someone like him, this is incredible.