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Shot On Stage: The Tragic Story of Pantera Guitarist Dimebag Darrell
One of the darkest nights in music.
Legendary American guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot on stage by an obsessed fan of his former band, Pantera.
The Gunman also killed three others on that fateful night, which happened to be the 24th anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon.
The incident sent shockwaves around the music world, many artists questioning their safety on stage.
The actions of one brave police officer saved the lives of many others that night.
This article tells the story behind the tragic death of Dimebag Darrell.
Who is Dimebag?
Affectionately known as Dimebag, Darrell Abbott (1966–2004) was the guitarist for the legendary heavy metal band Pantera, co-founded with brother Vinnie Paul Abbott.
Dimebag began playing the guitar at age 12. Pantera's first album, Metal Magic, was released in 1983 when he was only 16. Sons of country music producer Jerry Abbott, the brothers later formed Damageplan.
The success of Pantera
Pantera is one of the most influential bands in Metal music, selling an estimated 40 million records and four Grammy nominations.
Bringing a groove metal sound to the world — a subgenre of Heavy Metal, Pantera's major-label debut was 1990's critically acclaimed Cowboys from Hell.
1992's Vulgar Display of Power became Pantera's biggest selling album, selling over 2 million copies in the US.
Pantera's third major-label record, 1994' Far Beyond Driven, was Pantera's first and only album to reach number one on the US album charts.
With over 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, "Walk" is Pantera's most-streamed song, with over 210,000,000 Spotify plays.
Pantera played at the legendary 1991 "Monsters of Rock" concert in Moscow, where approximately 1.6 million people attended. It was the first show in…
