Dimebag Darrell

Real/Full Name: Darrell Lance Abbott
Date of Birth: August 20th, 1966
Origin: USA ( Arlington, Texas )
Date of Death: December 8th, 2004 ( murdered by gunshot, age 38 )
Instruments: guitar

Last bands:
Damageplan

Past bands:
Pantera

Main discography:
[ 1983 ] Pantera - Metal Magic
[ 1984 ] Pantera - Projects in The Jungle
[ 1985 ] Pantera - I Am The Night
[ 1988 ] Pantera - Power Metal
[ 1990 ] Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
[ 1992 ] Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
[ 1994 ] Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
[ 1996 ] Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill
[ 2000 ] Pantera - Reinventing The Steel
[ 2004 ] Damageplan - New Found Power

Guest/Session:
[ 1995 ] Anthrax - Stomp 442
[ 1998 ] King Diamond - Voodoo


Instruments:
( Click on the image to zoom in )

Dean DIME Dixie Rebels

Dean DIME RFH

Images:

Informations:

• Dimebag Darrell's guitar solo style is known by being the first to use the Whammy Harmonic technique, which consisted of lowering the pitch of the strings with his Whammy Bar, using his left hand to create a harmonic, and then lifting the Whammy Bar again, beyond the strings original pitch to create a high pitched, screaming noise. Darrell also uses a lot of Randy Rhoads' style chord arpeggios in his guitar solos, as well as use the pentatonic scales and pinch harmonics in his both lead and rhythm guitar playing. 

• When he was twelve years old, Darrell had a Hondo Les Paul guitar and upon winning a series of local guitar competitions around Texas, Darrell was awarded his first Dean ML guitar. Coincidentally, his father had also brought him a Dean ML guitar in the morning before this competition, but one with a cherry sunburst finish instead and with a Floyd Rose. 

• Darrell was the co-founder of Pantera alongside his brother Vinnie Paul, as well Damageplan, formed after the break-up of Pantera.

• Darrell was considered to be one of the drive forces behind Groove Metal style. 

• Dimebag Darrell was ranked No. 92 in the Top 100 Greatest Guitarists of the Rolling Stones magazine. He also was ranked No. 1 in the UK magazine, Metal Hammer. 

• Darrell said in an interview to Guitar World that Ace Frehley ( former KISS guitarist ) was his main influence and inspiration to play guitar. After meeting Ace, Dimebag had tattooed his autograph on his chest. 

• On December 4th, 2004, after the end of Pantera and during a performance with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa, Darrell was shot by Nathan Gale, who was equiped with a 9mm Beretta and shot on Darrell's head, killing him instantly. Gale also shot at the other people in the house, killing three other people and wounding seven more. When seven police officers entered in the house and moved toward stage, the police officer James Niggemeyer shot Gale on the face, quickly killing Gale. According to speculations, Gale was a Pantera fan and turned into violence after the break-up of the band and the public dispute between Abbott brothers and the singer Phil Anselmo. 

• During Darrell's burial, the guitarist Eddie Van Halen who was a friend of him, placed his original black guitar into the KISS Kasket that Darrell was buried in. 

• Dimebag Darrell had a long-time girlfirend, Rita Haney.  

• In 2005, one year after Darrell's death, the band Avenged Sevenfold honored Darrell on the song "Betrayed" from the album City of Evil.