DIMEBAG DARRELL

“Dude, I’ve been doing this my whole life!”

- Henry Yates and Steve Allsworth

In the 30 years since TG was first published, we have mourned the passing of so many legendary players. Within the last decade, we’ve lost Eddie Van Halen, Prince, and the man that Brian May and many others called The Guv’nor, Jeff Beck. And back in 2004, we lost one of the most influential and beloved figures in the world of heavy metal – Pantera guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott.

His death was as shocking as it was senseless. On December 8, 2004, in Columbus, Ohio, Abbott was performing on stage with Damageplan, the band he formed with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, after the breakup of Pantera. During the first song of the set, a deranged fan jumped on to the stage and shot the guitarist multiple times. Abbott and two others died at the scene, along with the perpetrator.

In the wake of this tragedy, Dimebag’s friends and fellow guitarists spoke to TG to offer their tributes. Tony Iommi lamented “an unfathomable loss”. Zakk Wylde – the man who is now honouring Dime’s legacy and playing his role in the reconfigured Pantera – told TG of all the crazy times he had enjoyed with Dime over the years, and spoke poignantly in the present tense when he said of his great friend: “His music is unique. He is totally original.”