DIMEBAG DARRELL – Died On The Stage 9 Years Ago Today

Late great PANTERA lead guitarist DIMEBAG DARRELL ABBOTT was shot to death while he was performing on stage during a show with his new band project Damageplan on December 8, 2004, at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. He was 38 years old.

A mentally ill ex-Marine ran onto the stage and emptied his gun into Dimebag at point blank range in front of the stunned live crowd. Several others in the club that night lost their lives trying to help save the guitar legend. A police officer would eventually arrive at the location and kill the gunman and put an end to the horrifying event.

Diehard fans in recent years have called for the surviving members of PANTERA (Vinnie, Phil and Rex) to reunite for a tribute concert with Zakk Wylde filling in for brother Dime. However, Dime’s brother Vinnie Paul still holds a grudge against his former band mates, having gone on the record in 2012 to state that he has laughed off big money for a such an event.

Vinnie Paul indeed plans to release the the final drum/guitar tracks he and his brother Dimebag cut in the studio (originally intended to be used for the 2nd Damageplan album) to instead be issued as a special tribute album one day that would feature guest vocalists only. In December of 2012, an exciting new cause was launched by TMD on Facebook. The cause is calling for Dimebag Darrell’s last studio tracks to be produced as the final studio record by the legendary Cowboys From Hell. It’s known Dimebag went back to his original Blue Dean guitar for these recordings and even stated the material was returning to the old school and would be much more ‘brutal’. Sounds like Pantera music waiting to be completed, doesn’t it?

Legendary bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN, KILL DEVIL HILL) even took to his Facebook to answer some fan questions and among his comments, while he addressed the subject of doing a Pantera tribute/reunion show, he makes it perfectly clear that he and vocalist Philip H. Anselmo are totally into the idea: “Philip And I Would Love To!”

How much love is still flowing for the deceased guitarist? Earlier this year, a statue of Dimebag was erected by a longtime Pantera fan at the Rock Legend Wax Museum in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

In the end, the surviving members of Pantera – nearly one decade later – are still locked in a nasty, bitter feud that seems pointless all this time after the fact. They all continue to make music with their own separate bands today (Hellyeah, Kill Devil Hill, Phil and The Illegals) but each clearly will never be able to recapture the magic that happened when Dimebag Darrell was in their band. Maybe one day they will stop hating each other long enough to do what is right and get up on the stage together one final time in honor of the fallen guitarist.

Until then, let us all celebrate Dimebag’s incredible musical legacy today by cranking up CFH!