Paul died unexpectedly on June 22nd
The surviving members of Pantera have announced a public memorial for co-founder and drummer Vinnie Paul. “Vinnie Paul: A Public Celebration of Life” will be held Sunday, July 1st, a day after his private memorial, at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX.
The event starts at 3:33 pm, the time of day Paul referred to as “Dime Time” after losing his brother and Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott in 2004. Wristbands will be distributed at noon only on that day with no advance tickets, lines or lists. Further details surrounding the event are scarce.
Paul died last Friday, June 22nd at the age of 54. No cause of death has been revealed, but his family confirms he died in his sleep. Paul will be buried alongside his late mother and his late brother. He will be buried in a Kiss casket as was his brother in 2004.
Paul co-formed Pantera along with “Dimebag” in 1981. The heavy metal band gained mainstream success when it hired second lead singer Phil Anselmo. Billboard reports Pantera earned four Grammy nominations and charted nine albums on the Billboard 200 charts throughout its career.
After Pantera called it quits, the brothers formed Damageplan in 2003. A year later, in December 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage during a performance in Ohio after a gunman opened fire on the group for disbanding Pantera. Paul co-formed Hellyeah in 2006 where he is credited as not only drummer, but also producer and engineer the band’s projects.
“Vinnie Paul Abbott wasn’t just a drummer, he was an iconic fixture in the metal and hard rock community, a pioneer, and an absolute legend,” Hellyeah’s label Eleven Seven Music states. “He was a self taught drummer who went on to win many awards for his impeccable skills throughout his career.”
The group received huge support from SiriusXM’s Octane in which they stated, “All of us at Octane are so broken hearted to hear of the passing of our brother Vinnie Paul. We sent love to his family, band members and fans. You will be missed. Thinking of you reunited and rockin’ with Dime… Rest in Peace, Vinnie Paul Abbott.”
Paul had just wrapped tracking drums for a new Hellyeah album. No word on the fate of that project.
