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“The Tapes Archive”has uploaded a previously unpublished interview with late PANTERA guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. At the time of this chat in 1992, Dimebag was 25 years old and was out on tour in support of PANTERA‘s “Vulgar Display Of Power” album. In the interview, Dimebag talks about his guitar trick that he wants everyone to learn; how Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen and Ace Frehley were his influences; how great his dad was; and how PANTERA writes their music.
The interview was conducted by Pete Prown, a veteran music journalist who has interviewed the world’s top guitarists for over 35 years. He’s currently music editor at Vintage Guitar magazine and editor of the Legends Of Rock Guitar Facebook page. His work has appeared in Guitar Shop, Guitar For The Practicing Musician and Guitar Player magazine, among other titles.
Featured topics:
00:00 – Intro Dimebag Darrell Interview
01:11 – Being banned from a local guitar competition as a teenager
03:20 – Whether being from Texas affects his playing
04:36 – What he listened to when he was younger
05:12 – Being influenced by Randy Rhoads and Ace Frehley
07:20 – What guitar scales he knows
07:42 – Who taught him to play guitar and the first song he played
08:30 – How great his dad was
09:42 – Wanting his own guitar tone
11:02 – Yelling at his brother to keep it down
11:21 – The guitar trick he wants everyone to learn
12:40 – His new whammy pedal
13:15 – The way he writes solos
15:07 – Whether he plays a lot of acoustic guitar
15:43 – Whether he thinks he’s a good enough player for thrash music
16:45 – How he traded a joint for a guitar pick-up
18:07 – His guitar chops
18:46 – Why he loves Dean Guitars
22:19 – Playing with his brother Vinnie
23:34 – Playing the Moscow concert in front of 1.6 million fans
26:32 – Whether he’s ever been hurt at a gig
27:10 – How Pantera writes their music
28:26 – Whether he has any ideas for the next album
28:59 – His top five essential guitar albums
Abbott, one of the most beloved and respected musicians in hard rock, was shot onstage during a DAMAGEPLAN concert on December 8, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio by a 25-year-old ex-Marine named Nathan Gale. Gale murdered a total of four people and wounded three others before being killed himself by police officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived on the scene minutes after Gale began his rampage.
According to The Pulse Of Radio, Gale seemed to deliberately target Abbott, leading to speculation that the young man, who had a history of mental illness, held a grudge against Abbott and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, for the break-up of PANTERA in 2002. Columbus police closed their investigation in October of 2005 without establishing a motive for the shootings.
Abbott and Paul formed PANTERA in the mid-eighties in Texas. The band recorded four independent albums before their 1990 major label debut, “Cowboys From Hell”, introduced a heavier sound and made them a favorite with metal fans. 1994’s “Far Beyond Driven” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 without benefit of a commercial hit single.
The group splintered in 2002 following the departure of volatile lead singer Philip Anselmo. Dime and Vinnie, as they were known to their fans, regrouped with DAMAGEPLAN, releasing the band’s debut album, “New Found Power”, in February of 2004. The group was touring in support of the record at the time of the shootings.
Abbott‘s death was a devastating blow to the close-knit hard rock and metal community. He was known to his fellow musicians for his hospitality, friendship and partying spirit, and was a legend among fans and peers for his powerful, innovative and unmistakable playing style.
Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 at the age of 54 in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. He was buried next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas.
