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VINNIE PAUL: Public Memorial For Former PANTERA Drummer To Be Held In Dallas On Sunday
June 27th, 2018

A public memorial for late Pantera and Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul will be held at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, July 1st, commencing at 3:33pm. The line for wristbands to attend Vinnie Paul: A Public Celebration Of Life will begin at noon outside the venue. No advance tickets will be available.

Vinnie Paul Abbott passed away on June 22nd, 2018 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 54. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell issued the following statement: “Just so broken hearted and in shock. I’m struggling to write this but we want to thank you all for your kind words and support in this tragic time. We don’t have much info to give you other than Vinnie is now with Dime and they are together in a better place. Sadness, shock, confusion, anger, despair. We feel it all together. Hug your loved ones and keep them close.

“Thank you all again for all your love. Vinnie will be and is greatly loved and missed but his music will live forever. Crank it loud today and scream to the heavens so he can hear you.”

Hellyeah vocalist Chad Gray added: “First off I’m sorry to all of you for our loss. It’s consumed me as I’m sure it has many of you. I’m sure you can all understand this has been incredibly hard and impossible for me to wrap my head around. I just don’t want to believe it’s real.

“I want to tell all my crew I love you guys so much. We couldn’t do what we do with out you. And I want to say thank you to everyone around the world for your kind words, blessings and condolences to all of us through this tragic time. We love you all! And to all of my friends in and out of the music business thank you for reaching out to me. It means more to me then I could ever express. I don’t know what I would do without you. So Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! It really has taken ‘the heavy metal family’ to another level.

“This has been one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to face in my life! I’m so confused, sad and as helpless as I’ve ever been. I’m at a loss and completely devastated. But I’m trying. It’s the equivalent of an emotional riot in my head and in my heart as I write this. But I’m trying to focus on anything good. I know Vinnie would want that. And the good things are my memories of him. His smile, his infectious laugh and his personality that beamed light.

“Him and his brother Dimebag lived to make people smile. That’s what I’m gonna miss the most. I just want to say thank you Vinnie Paul! For saving my life, for your music, for your endless generosity, for accepting me into your life, for creating our music that touched people, for being proud to be in Hellyeah and for always treating me like a brother, and more importantly for treating me like a friend. So many times I’ve looked back to see you just bashing away and have to pinch myself. It was Unbelievable! And for all of those things you will live forever in my heart. And I will never let you go!!! I will always love you and go to the end of the earth to carry the torch for you and Dime’s legacy.

“R.I.P Vincent Paul Abbott. I know you’re with Dimebag right now, smiling down on us. Even in all this emotional darkness, that thought alone makes me smile right back. I LOVE YOU! Your eternal friend – Chadnesss.”

Hellyeah guitarist Christian Brady offered the following words, meanwhile: “I’m sitting here in tears writing this. I haven’t been able to find the words to do this… maybe I just haven’t had the will to do it yet because I knew once I did, it would make it real and I still keep hoping that this is just a horrible nightmare that I’m going to wake up from. But I know it’s not.

“A friend of ours said to me today… ‘sometimes you get to meet your heroes and they turn out to be cool, and then maybe you got lucky enough to meet Vinnie Paul.’ Vinnie… not only was I lucky enough to meet you, I was lucky enough to be taken in as your family. I was lucky enough to create and play music with you. I was lucky enough to have you call me your brother and tell me you love me. I was lucky enough to call you my brother and tell you I love you. You will always be with me. I can’t even begin to thank you for everything you did… for me, for our band. You were the most incredibly generous person I’ve ever known. You changed my life in so many ways and I will forever be grateful for you.

“The only thing that makes me smile right now amidst the ocean of tears is that I know you’re with Dime again. I know he was there waiting for you with a shot and smiling… ‘Drink it or wear it big bro!’… and I know the heavens are rocking harder than ever right now. You always believed that when you lose someone so close to you, you have to live for two. That’s exactly what you did and now that’s exactly what I’m going to do. You will be missed everyday. You will be on my mind and in my heart for the rest of my life. I love you with all of my heart bro. Thank you for everything. May you Rest In Peace. Until we meet again my dear friend…”

Vincent Paul Abbott was born on March 11th, 1964 in Abilene, Texas. In 1981 he co-founded Pantera alongside his younger brother and guitarist ‘Diamond’ Darrell Abbott (whose moniker was later revised to ‘Dimebag’).

Pantera disbanded in 2003, after which Vinnie and his brother formed Damageplan. On December 8th, 2004, while performing with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Darrell Abbott was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale at the age of 38.

Since 2006, Vinnie had been the drummer for Hellyeah.

A private funeral service for Vinnie Paul will be held on Saturday, June 30th, beginning at 3:33 pm local time.