For those who aren't into heavy music, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott
was the guitarist for the band Pantera, from the Dallas area.
After decades of pummelling audiences worldwide with their
ferocious music, Dime and his brother Vinnie Paul (drums) decided
to take a break and try something different for a while.
They formed a side project called Damageplan, recorded an
album and went on tour.
During a show in Columbus Ohio on December 8, 2004 a
Pantera fan with mental problems, upset that his favorite
band had been broken up (he was mistaken) climbed onstage
and shot Darrell in the head before also killing a few
other people. The 'fan' was then shot to death by a police
officer.
As a tribute to the legendary guitarist, San Antonio native
Chris "Curse" Mackey (founder of the band Evil Mothers and
creative director of Action Arts Agency) organized the show
seen here.
54 Dean ML guitars (Dimebag's favorite axe) have so far been
painted (or more) by a wide range of people from tattoo artists
and airbrush types, to famous musicians such as Rob Zombie,
Marilyn Manson, Tommy Lee, Dave Navarro, Hank Williams III,
Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, and Kelly Clarkson.
The guitars are touring the country, and we caught them here
in San Antonio yesterday. After the tour the guitars will be
auctioned off to support music and art education initiatives.
The exhibit was free but I donated $10 to the expense fund
in order to help Chris and his family with their costs and to
get the official poster.
Over the next six months the show will hit most of the
major cities across America.
Look for it.
In the early 1980s I was in the sound crew at a Pantera show
and after buying Dimebag a couple of beers we got to talking.
He was a wonderful guy, crazy fun and without pretension,
every bit a Texan. We got along so well that he gave me his
card in hopes that I might come to work for them, but I was
concentrating on my own career as a guitarist at the time.
When exhibit curator Chris Mackey saw me holding it up to
get this photo he made a beeline across the room to hear
my story and tell his own.
Seeing the exhibit and being surrounded by reminders of
our tragic loss was an emotional experience for me.
2 comments:
Kelly Clarkson?
Pantera got me through high school. Vulger Display was the best metal album of the 1990s by far, and it was interesting to see the transition from Cowboys to the one after Vulger, the name escapes me. Screwskull, call it.
pantera DID break up. phil broke up the band all by himelf and the abotts started a new band.
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