| Tony Iommi I was absolutely shocked by the news. Dimebag was such a really nice genuine bloke and a great player. He was always very respectful towards me and it was lovely to have him on tour with us. He will be sadly missed. |
| Paul Stanley – KISS I’m stunned. The taking of Dimebag Darrell‘s life in this horrific murder is a senseless tragedy for his fans and unfathomable loss for his family. I send my deepest condolences to Vinnie and the rest of his family. My thoughts are also with the families of all the other victims of this heinous act.” |
| Gene Simmons – KISS Sad to report ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott, formerly of PANTERA, has been killed in a club incident. Our best wishes to his family and friends.” |
| Rob Halford 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! ” 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.” |
| Brian May – QUEEN 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.” |
| Kirk Windstein – CROWBAR This whole thing is very disturbing. First, I’d like to give my deepest heartfelt sympathy to Vinnie, Rita, all Dime‘s bandmates, and all of his family and friends throughout the world. Second, I’d like to thank Dime for all the joy he’s brought to my life both through his music, and through his friendship over the years. I can honestly say that hanging out with Dime was some of the funnest times of my life. I really looked up to him as a person, and, of course, as a guitar hero. It’s not very often that you get to jam with one of your musical inspirations on his back porch. I feel really fortunate to have been able to know him as a person, to tour with PANTERA, to sit there with him and watch him do what very few can do on a guitar. This whole thing is just horrible. My sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to him and all of his loved ones. “hanks for all you’ve brought to my life, Dime. Love you, bro. |
| Fallon Bowman – KITTIE I would like to extend my condolences to the Abbott family at this difficult time. “PANTERA, and especially Dimebag, made sure I had tons o’ fun on the Ozzfest tour so I owe them a lot. Not only that, he was just a down-to-earth, nice person. “It’s a sad day for music. I’m sure this weekend everyone will do one shot of Jack Daniel’s in his honour. “RIP, Dime.” |
| Kyle Thomas – EXHORDER Above all, I want to send out condolences to Vinnie and his family. Also to Rita, as well as Philip and Rex, all of my friends in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and the New Orleans friends Darrell had. Condolences also to the world of heavy metal. You lost an innovator, a warrior, and a metal god. “We’ll meet again…” |
| Jimmy Bower The fact is, and what’s really important, is that Darrell was a beautiful person. We lost a great guy who did a lot for a lot of people. What happened was incredibly ignorant to say the least. He extended himself to me time and time again. The guy MADE me stay at his house anytime a tour I was on stopped in Texas. My extreme condolences go out to Vinnie, the Abbott family, Damageplan, and the fans. |
| Ted Nugent It was horrible. Darrell was a big fan of mine. He expressed that every time we ever saw each other,” said the Nuge, who fondly recalled that PANTERA performed his “Journey to the Center of the Mind” and “Cat Scratch Fever” the last time they played Detroit. “It’s tragic on two dynamic levels,” Nugent, an outspoken advocate of sensible gun ownership, added. “Once again, innocence is destroyed, and it’s Americans destroying other Americans. This conduct runs wild in this country … It’s not the Taliban doing it. It’s Americans.” |
| Mike Mushok – STAIND I can’t believe the news I got last night. Jon called me telling me that Dimebag was shot at a club while they were performing. I couldn’t believe it then and I still can’t. On behalf of myself and the band I’d like to send our deepest sympathy to Dime’s family. What a loss. “I was lucky enough to be able to hang with Dime on a few occasions and he was a man that loved life and lived it to the fullest. He was an incredible guitar player / musician / human being – a legend who will live on in the awesome music that he made. “Pour yourself a shot of crown, add a splash of coke and raise your glass in Dime’s memory. You’ll be missed.” |
| Lemmy – MOTORHEAD “To Vinnie & all concerned: Man, I am so fuckin sorry. You know I loved Dimebag and I’m about as sorry as you can get. Glad you’re OK though. If there’s anything you need help with, you got my number somewhere, OK. “Thinking of you.” Phil Campbell – MOTORHEAD “I’m so sorry, we’ll dedicate the set to Dimebag tonight.” Mikkey Dee – MOTORHEAD “My deepest sympathy to everyone affected by this tragedy |
| Marty Friedman – MEGADETH I knew Darrell from months of touring together. He was a great guitar player, actually much better than was probably necessary to play the kind of music he was playing. Although his image was a wild partying maniac, his playing always was full of class and finesse. As a fellow guitar player, KISS fanatic and basic rock dude just tryin’ to make music, I’m sad and shocked by this. “Why is it so easy for any lunatic to get his hands on a gun?? “RIP, Dime, you will be missed. |
| Wes Borland – LIMP BIZCUT We were playing a show in Texas a few years ago and I saw this sweaty, super long-haired, big-bearded, Dimebag Darrell-looking guy come over the barricade right in front of me. ‘Holy crap,’ I thought, “That IS Dimebag Darrell!!!’ I had only met him once before, but I had grown up on PANTERA and was a little star-struck by his presence. He was smiling and looking up at me and jamming out to whatever song we were playing at the moment. The security in the barricade were getting ready to shoo him out from in front of the stage with everyone else, but I stopped them from ushering him out and I stopped playing guitar and I shook his hand. He hung out right in front of me for about four more songs. I couldn’t believe it. He was a hero to so many of us. I’m glad I got to have that moment with him. I’ll never forget it |
| CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan and producer John Custer “It’s tragic, a shame,” Keenan said Thursday. “I’ve known Darrell for years and years. He was a big fan of COC, we toured Australia together with PANTERA. It’s just a shame.” “He was one of the defining guitarists of his generation,” Custer said. “He was like Eddie Van Halen or Randy Rhoads or Stevie Ray Vaughan, about seven cuts above everybody else. Anybody who puts in the amount of time and devotion to get that good is not … out there just to mess around with music for a little while before going on to something else. He was a devoted musician and one of the most influential guitarists to come out of that whole decade. And he made records that helped people get through their year. He’ll be remembered as one of the best.” Thursday afternoon, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY was gathering at the studio again. But Custer did not think they’d get much work done right away. “It’s hard to get excited about cutting guitar tracks right now,” Custer said. “There will definitely be a shroud over things for a while.” This is just awful.” |
| Mike Portnoy – DREAM THEATER Dime was an incredible talent who I’ve admired since the beginning when we had both just signed to Atco Records. It’s been many years since I’ve hung with him or any of the PANTERA guys – but my memories with him and the guys were always of great fun and filled with crazy drunken insanity. He lived each and everyday to the fullest. In fact, I never could believe how he could even function (both on and off stage) with the way he partied and lived life. I feel so sorry for Vinnie and the rest of the band and family.Words really cannot describe the heartache I’ve had all day.This is as tragic and unbelievable as Lennon getting killed. But this hits home even closer because he was ONE OF US. |
| ROB ZOMBIE “I don’t know exactly what to write concerning the death of Darrell. This is beyond shocking and horrible. I still can’t believe it is true. I got the call from my manager Andy Gould, who, along with Walter O’Brien, used to manage PANTERA and WHITE ZOMBIE. “During the early ninties WHITE ZOMBIE and PANTERA were constant touring partners and I had the pleasure of watching Darrell perform with PANTERA easily over a hundred times. For those of you who never saw him, he was without a doubt the most dynamic guitartist on the face of the planet. He was truly one of a kind. A legend. “Off stage, he was a cool, down-to-earth guy with the most bizarre sense of humor ever, half the time I didn’t even understand what the hell he was saying. He spoke a language all his own – Dimespeak. “The last time I saw Darrell was with his brother Vinnie standing in the crowd rocking out at a METALLICA show. I never got a chance to see his new band, but I’m sure he was as amazing as always. “No one can replace a giant talent like Darrell, he will be missed. “My heart goes out to Phil, Rex and especially Vinnie.” |
| OZZY OSBOURNE “Dimebag was a dear friend of mine,” Ozzy Osbourne said. “I’m absolutely beside myself with grief… Pantera toured with me many, many times. I’ll always remember the signed guitar that he gave me at my 50th birthday party. My heart goes out to Dime’s family, his fans and the other innocent victims who were killed in this senseless tragedy. It’s just terribly, terribly sad.” |
| Rob “Blasko” Nicholson (OZZY OSBOURNE) “I’m speechless. This is totally unreal. Dimebag is a fucking legend and this is total bullshit.” |
| Wayne Static – STATIC-X It’s taken me several days to gather my thoughts so I could make some sort of statement about Dime. This whole thing is so surreal. PANTERA changed my life as a musician. Dime has always been my absolute favorite guitarist ever. STATIC-X did two tours with PANTERA and they were the most memorable tours of my career. Recently I’ve been very excited that Dime and Vinnie have carried on with DAMAGEPLAN, and I was looking forward to hearing many more great albums from them in the future. The last show STATIC-X played before entering the recording studio was with DAMAGEPLAN in Florida. After the show, Dime and I, along with his awesome wife Rita, hung out all night and did plenty of drinking. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know Dime, along with his bandmates Vinnie, Patrick, and Bobzilla. DAMAGEPLAN, their crew, and their friends are some of the best people I ve ever met. Dime had a huge heart and a pure honesty that made him very cool and unique. He will be missed by everyone.” |
| Howard Jones – KILLSWITCH ENGAGE “This is insane and this is beyond travesty. This is beyond anything I’ve ever heard. This shouldn’t happen in or outside of the rock and metal community. He will be missed and mourned as a person, as a musician, and as a friend.” |
| Scott Ian – ANTHRAX “I am devastated as I’m sure we all are. All I can convey at this moment are my condolences to Rita and Vinnie and the whole family. My heart is with you.” |
| Dave Mustaine – MEGADETH “There is nothing unique or clever to this post, and what I want to say has no doubt already been said throughout the metal community, by countless others whom were more closer to Darrell than me by now. However, knowing he was murdered tonight, I wish to thank and remember Darrell for his amazing life and the gift that he shared with me and so many other fortunates. I pray for Darrell’s family and friends; specifically for their healing, their peace, and their understanding of this tragedy in this time of need. I send my deepest heartfelt condolences to the Abbott family, to Darrell’s friends, and to the fantastic PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN fans around the world. We must never forget his life, and his gifts, his genius, his terrific personality, and the legacy he left behind to remember him by. Darrell, I will see you in heaven and I, like so many more, love you brother. You will be missed.” |
| Mantas – VENOM “A sad day for the world of Heavy Metal. A great talent taken by a senseless and unnecessary event. Although I never met the guy, I was always a fan of his music and of him as a guitarist, and the world of Heavy Metal guitar will mourn his loss. My thoughts go out to his family and friends at this tragic time. Rest in peace, dude.” |
| Nikki Sixx – MÖTLEY CRÜE “Dime, I will never forget all the times you made us laugh. I’m so happy we got to spend the day together in London recently & We should all live our lives as full as you have. I will miss you, as will all of us… This is a sad day.” |
| Rich Ward – FOZZY, STUCK MOJO “Darrell was as nice as they come. During the times that I spent with him, I wondered why he played in such a heavy band. Not that he didn’t have the ability to school all of us that dared to share a stage with him, but because he seemed like such a gentle and kind man. He had a great sense of humor and was someone that everyone in the room gravitated toward. He never carried himself like the big rock star that he really was, instead he came across humble and appreciative. I consider it a privilege to have known him, as he was one of the ‘real’ guys in the business and as Zakk Wylde would say, ‘one of the boys’!” |
| Shaun Glass – SOIL “Today I am saddened to say I lost my friend and hero it sickens me that someone would take away a person that brought so much joy to so many people. Love ya, Double D.” |
| Jon Dette – ex-SLAYER, TESTAMENT “My brother just called to tell me that Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage tonight. Words cannot express the sadness I’m feeling right now and my condolences go out to Vinnie Paul and the Abbott family for their loss. This is a huge tragedy for the music world.” |
| Lars Ulrich – Metallica This is unbelievable. To sit here and talk about Darrell in the past tense seems so wrong, so unfair, so unjust, I don’t even know what to say. My heart goes out to Vinnie, to their families, to the other band members, and to the families and friends of the other people that were killed or injured, in this fucking senseless act of selfishness and stupidity. In 1985 I was fortunate enough to meet both Darrell and his brother in Dallas on tour. The first thing me and my friend did as soon as that tour was over, was to head straight back to Dallas and hang out with Darrell and Vinnie for a long time, cuz they were the coolest muther fuckers that we had met after criss-crossing the states for three months. That was the beginning of a friendship that was anchored in love, respect, fun, outrageousness, music, booze, sweat, late nights, early mornings, hangovers, headaches, pounding eardrums, sore bodies… the list goes on. There’s a tendency in these fucked up moments to use the word “I” a lot and focus on one’s own feelings of pity and shock… so instead let it just be known that thru these eyes Darrell was incredibly warm, open, fun, nutty, forthcoming, talented, embracing, unpretentious, accommodating and he always had a very attractive innocence about him that obviously made him never threatening and always welcoming. Darrell and his brother were the cornerstone of musical adventures that were always groundbreaking, pushing boundaries, challenging to themselves and to their fans, respected by their peers and always true musicians’ musicians, and today the rock world is worse off because of this untimely and senseless waste. Much love and respect and thanks for letting me be a small part of your life and I know you are already having fun and throwing it down with Bon Scott, Keith Moon, John Bonham, Jimi, Cliff B., and the rest of the musicians and troublemakers that you are hanging with so prematurely. |
| Former Dallas Stars defenseman Craig Ludwig (the Abbott brothers) “weren’t just hockey fans, they were friends of the entire team.” He added “‘Dime’ will be missed very much.” |
| Charlie Benante – Anthrax Dime was special, those who knew him would attest to that…. My heart goes out to Vinnie and Go play your PANTERA CDs or Remember him for his music and I love you Bro’, I’ll miss your cryin’ and sobbin’ – CB |
| Corey Taylor – Slipknot “I lost a really good friend on my 31st birthday. Dimebag was the kind of guy you could hang out with for 2 seconds and feel like you knew him your whole life. He made you laugh, made you drink, but most of all made you feel special. I’m really really going to miss him, but the one thing we will always have is his music.” |
| Mark Hunter – Chimaira “I don’t know a single person who didn’t love the music Dime created. I am so thankful for the all of the music he gave us and I am truly upset about this. I immediately broke into tears when I heard the confirmation. Dime’s music gave me so much to live for when I was younger and he truly changed the face of metal with his unique style of guitar playing. There isn’t a metal band I know that hasn’t borrowed a riff or three from him. My heart goes out to the Abbot family, their friends and all of the fans who had to witness this tragedy in Columbus.” |
| Howard Jones – Killswitch Engage “This is insane and this is beyond travesty. This is beyond anything I’ve ever heard. This shouldn’t happen in or outside of the rock and metal community. He will be missed and mourned as a person, as a musician, and as a friend.” |
| Matt Heafy – Trivium “Dimebag was one of the most influential musicians in our time. Dime was a legend who really made the world seem that much better. He was a man who helped inspire countless numbers of players, fans, and people in general, including me. It’s a terrifying feeling that now at concerts, at the place that we seek our release from the everyday world we want to escape from, our heroes are being murdered. My heart goes out to the Abbott family: Dimebag Darrell Abbott was a man of legendary and heroic status, but before all that, Darrell was and always will be a brother and a son we all mourn today.” |
| Clown – Slipknot “It’s just upsetting how the world is – the need and the necessity to override the value of life. From my whole (SLIPKNOT) family, I would like to tell . . . Vinnie and everyone else how sorry we are.” |
| Machine Head “Machine Head are devastated by the horrific news. Our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Abbott family, Damageplan and former members of Pantera. Our thoughts are with you all.” |
| Max Cavalera – Soulfly “Music has lost one of the greatest players and a friend and brother in metal. We toured together many times as a matter of fact and Darrell “Dime” and his brother came to our show in Texas. Today I feel empty, like there’s nothing we can do to bring him back. All I can do is pray that Darrell is in a better place.” |
| Paul Grey – Slipknot “He will truly be missed. Dime was one of the first people to show Slipknot respect as a band and that meant so much because we all looked up to him. I remember all the good times I was able to spend with him over the years from tearing it up at the Ritz Carlton playing our version of WWF wrestling with Joey (Jordison) and Bobby Tongs to getting drunk with the outlaw at noon. He was there for me when I was going through struggles and problems in my life, always willing to listen and give me good advice. He was a good friend and I will miss him greatly. My condolences go out to Vinnie, Rita and the entire Abbott Family.” |
| Trevor Peres – Obituary “I can’t believe that this happened to Darrell. One could never imagine something like this happening at a metal concert. Out of all of the ‘rock stars’ that I know, he is the last person that deserved that. What a great guitarist and what a ‘ham’ he was. I am completely devastated. I am at loss of words.” |
| Life Of Agony “Today is a sad day for music. Life Of Agony are extremely distraught over last night’s insane tragedy which took the life of Damageplan’s Dimebag Darrell. The band’s hearts go out to the Abbott family as well as the entire Damageplan camp. Dime, you will never be forgotten. We are all just speechless over here.” |
| Sepultura “Dimebag was an excellent musician and a good friend, a fucking great partner in memorable tours. We’ll miss him very much. Our condolences to the Abbott family.” |
| Jonny Santos – Spineshank “Dimebag was to me probably the most influencial guitar player of metal since I knew what metal was. I can remember Tommy and I going to every Pantera show that came to town and even sneaking into one at the Paladium years ago by climbing up the side of the building. It saddens me to think that something like this could happen to somebody who did nothing but give to the people of this community. Even after Pantera he continued to bless us with his unique style of playing. His music will live on forever, and may he rest in eternal peace. My respect and condolances go out to Vinnie and his family, the rest of the band & crew, and the families of those who lost someone in this tragic event . You will be missed but not forgotten.” |
| Meegs – Pinata/Coal Chamber “I would just like to take this moment to expess my sorrow to all the people that passed away last night. I know Dime was a great influence to alot of people, including myself. He will be missed deeply. I can personally say I had some of the best times touring with Pantera. Music is something that should be shared with all. We never stop to realize how powerful it can be. Dime, thanks for all the fun times we had! This drink’s for you! R.I.P.” |
| Dave Mustaine – Megadeth I knew him by wanting to play with him. We had Pantera open for Megadeth in the U.S. and in Europe. When you get to the level of guitar playing that I’m at and that he was at, the air is pretty thin up there . . . Darrell was a really gentle spirit and pretty easygoing guy. Society is looking at this and saying, “This is heavy metal.” That’s not heavy metal, that’s a random act.. |
Zakk Wylde – Ozzy |
| Jonathan Davis – Korn In the Eighties, honestly, I was more into dance music, New Romantic music like Depeche Mode. Vulgar Display of Power totally opened my eyes to a more traditional kind of metal. That made me go, “I want to be in a band like this. This is the shit.” I really became a huge fan of Pantera, especially with what Darrell did. I’ll never forget that trademark fucking flying “V” guitar of his and his crazy, dyed fucking goatee and insane, undeniable riffs that he wrote that have been copied I don’t know how many fucking times. He was one of the last great, traditional metal guitarists of our day. He was just a legend. It seems like all the great guitar players get taken early. I remember when Fieldy took me |
| Geezer Butler Dimebag- one of the nicest blokes I have met on the road, one of the greatest musicians to grace our world. Senselessly taken from us by yet another act of gun violence. Rest in peace- thanks for the music and the man.” |
| Doug Sabolick – A Life Once Lost A sad fucking day for sure, some miserable 20 something fuck killed a legend. A man who inspired so many to rip and thrash. Pantera was and still is my favorite group and Dimebag was the one who inspired me the pick up the axe , the bottle and the joint and just fucking RIP! I remember being 13 years old and just blasting “Far Beyond Driven” all day long. Darrell was who I looked up to, someone who did things on his own terms and still succeeded! |
| Phil Labonte – All That Remains I don’t know what to say the whole band is shocked our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone!” |
| Cory Brandon – Norma Jean I think it’s insane and scary and most of all sad that this had to happen. how lame. hearing about this sort of stuff pretty much pisses me off! Metal will miss that dude for sure. I liked him. RIP “cowboy from hell.” |
| Dan Jacobs – Atreyu It’s a sad day when being such a good guitar player can get you killed. Metal will never be the same. |
| Keith Buckley – Every Time I Die There are alot of counterfactuals involved in senseless deaths like that of Dimebags. What if it had been one of our shows. What if there are more people than we know capable of such atrocities. What if it had been me. But these “what-ifs” only come about after a period of reflection. The more sincere questions are the most immediate. Mine was this. “Why did Pantera break up in the first place”. |
| Trevor – UNEARTH This is a sad day for Heavy Metal, Rock’n’roll and for all his family, friends and legion of fans around the world. Dimebag Darrell was one of the Our thoughts and hearts go out |
| Ed Conroy – Full Blown Chaos That’s a idol and a legend gone for no reason. There is no reason for something like this to happen and it’s frightening to think if this could happen in the future if ,say, some crazed fan jumps on stage and does something like that at a full blown show. With Darrell, man, it’s just a waste of talent. People all over are just bummed out about it. Whether he was a friend or not, his influence can be heard all around music now. |
| Mark Morton – Lamb of God Dime’s music was a huge influence on me personally and on Lamb of God as a whole. as a guitar player he was a true inovator. his sound tone and style shapped modern metal and his riffs are constantly referenced by nearly every band in metal including my own. only recently did i have the pleasure of hanging out with him on a personal level and he was as genuine and down to earth as anyone you would ever meet. this is a huge loss to the music world.” |
| Bobby C. – A Life Once Lost Not only was Dime progressive musician, his image and style of playing changed the face of metal to this day…Light one up in his memory.” |
| Maria Ferrero Actions speak louder than words – the mark these class act people have put forth on the world will never be rivaled and never fade!” |