Died On This Date (December 8, 2004) Dimebag Darrell / Pantera
themusicsover “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott
August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004
“Dimebag Darrell” Abbott is best remembered as the founding guitarist for metal band, Pantera. Formed with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul in 1981, the band evolved from its early glam leanings into one of thrash metal’s most influential bands by the end of their run. In 1992, the band released what would become their breakthrough album, Cowboys From Hell, which is generally included in any legitimate survey of the greatest metal albums of all time. In 2003, the band broke up due to internal politics. The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan, whose debut album, New Found Power, debuted in the top 40 of the album charts and went on to sell modestly. While on a Damageplan tour in Ohio on December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darryl’s life came to a tragic end in an eerily similar to, yet much bloodier fashion than John Lennon’s murder on the same date in 1980. As Damageplan were performing at a Columbus club, an unknown and perhaps deranged fan pulled out a gun and fired five shots into Abbott, killing him instantly. The shooter wasn’t finished however, and he began firing multiple shots throughout the club, wounding others and killing a club employee, an audience member, and the band’s security guard, Jeff “Mayhem” Thompson. By the time the police arrived, the shooter had scuffled with others and was holding Damageplan’s wounded drum tech, John “Kat” Brooks hostage after he tried to overtake him. Fortunately for those left in the building, Officer John Niggemeyer fired one shot into the face of the heavily armed perpetrator as he had Brooks in a headlock. The shooter was killed instantly.
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