by John Foxworthy; photos by Doug Canning of Dirtbag Clothing.

When you consider the bigger picture, many of our lives are rather insignificant. The reality is that we were all put on this planet to fill a role, which may or may not be determined before we're born. Regardless of our worth, we all affect the lives of the people we touch ... it's up to us as to how. Such is the case with "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Not even he could have predicted how much of an inspiration he would be when he picked up his first guitar, yet the impact he had on the world was undeniable in both his life and his death.

"Dimebag" started out as Darrell Abbott, son to Country & Western artist Jerry Abbott. He took an interest in playing music beginning with the drums. His brother, Vinnie, seemed to have more talent for that instrument and Darrell swapped the set for an electric guitar at age 12. By the time he was 16-years-old he had mastered it, even being banned from local guitar contests because he had already won all of them.

Darrell and Vinnie formed Pantera in 1982 with singer Terrence Lee and bassist Rex Brown. Their sound was considered more hard rock than anything else, being compared to the likes of Kiss and Def Leppard. The band released four albums with that line-up, but Pantera's metamorphosis from rock knock-off to breakthrough metal machine came when Philip Anselmo took the position of lead singer in 1988. Two years later they released "Cowboys From Hell," which is considered to be a revolutionary album to this day.

"When my old band Malice played in Fort Worth, the guys from Pantera came out and hung with us, and this is like in '86 when they still wore Spandex and they had like big hair," recalled Jay Reynolds, guitarist for Metal Church, "It's a long standing relationship between Pantera and the metal community. I think they really bridged the gap between fuckin' old-school '80s metal and what's become nu- metal. They made the blueprint and laid the path for bands like Korn ... and I could just go on and on. The whole nu-metal thing probably wouldn't have happened if they hadn't bridged that gap and been as original as they were."

Although Pantera as a whole were quickly becoming one of the greatest metal bands of all time, the real story was Dimebag's ability to mix searing, melodic leads with absolutely brutal riffs. His guitar stylings influenced millions of would-be musicians, many of whom have gone on to become powerhouses of the metal genre.

"Dime's music was a huge influence on me personally, and on Lamb Of God as a whole," said Mark Morton of Lamb Of God, "As a guitar player he was a true innovator. His sound, tone and style shaped modern metal and his riffs are constantly referenced by nearly every band in metal, including my own. Only recently did I have the pleasure of hanging out with him on a personal level and he was a genuine and down to earth as anyone you could ever meet."

This is a sentiment that gets nods from every corner of the rock scene, but while Darrell was a truly pioneering force on six strings, he was also known by many as one of the most beloved personalities in music. Dimebag's love for people made anyone who came in contact with him feel like they'd become his friend. He was never too busy for his fans and never had an unkind word to say about anyone ... but that was just Darrell.

Pantera stood the test of time and kept their brand of metal on the cutting edge, even through the '90s when Grunge reigned supreme over the airwaves. In 2000, the band went on a hiatus because, as Vinnie Paul described in an interview with Revolver magazine, " ... We had been doing this for 12 goddamn years and we needed a break."

Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown followed a new path, starting their own project and Pantera appeared to be dead. In 2002, Vinnie and Darrell fired up Damageplan, with vocalist Pat Lachman and bassist Bob "Zilla," and released a new force in the form of New Found Power, their debut album. Damageplan quickly became a compelling new sound and it was obvious the boys were back.

Nobody could have foreseen the tragic events of December 8, 2004, when 25-year-old Nathan Gale climbed the stage in a Columbus, Ohio, nightclub shooting Darrell five times at point blank range and killing him before firing at the rest of his band and the audience, killing and injuring several others. In one senseless act of rage, the life light of a friend, a hero and a true icon was snuffed, leaving fans and family in a surrealistic fog of sadness and anger.

Dime's death shocked the entire world. The incident has flooded the headlines of every major media outlet since it happened, but this isn't just a scoop about some famous guy who was murdered; it's not even a testimonial to the rampaging state of violence in today's society. It's the celebration of a man with a rich lust for life and an undying drive to do what he loved most ... play.

"This is a sad day for heavy metal, rock 'n' roll and for all his family, friends and legion of fans around the world," said Trevor Philips, vocalist for Unearth, "Dime loved life, cared about people and was a true rock icon. Everything about him was admirable. Our thoughts and hearts go out to his family and friends."

It's truly important to understand the Darrell behind the Dimebag. His aura affected everyone he came in contact with ... as a person and musician. Dime, as his closest friends called him, enjoyed life to its fullest. The connection he had with everyone who met him was nothing less than captivating. Even those who weren't close to the "Dime" became instantly enthralled with his obvious magnetism upon meeting him. In fact, Darrell's individuality is what separated him from many of metal's other celebrities. The sales of over seven million records worldwide, four Grammy nominations, countless awards and god-like status didn't seem to matter to Dimebag. For him it wasn't about the recognition, it was always about the music.

Darrell was also working on many new projects outside of his music, which ranged from a limited series of Dean guitars to his own product line, Dimebag Hardware. Doug Canning, CEO of Dirtbag Clothing, was working with Darrell on Dimebag Hardware. Doug's first meeting with him at a Damageplan show in San Francisco left a lasting impression.

"One thing I'll never forget was after the show. It was two hours after Damageplan played. There were 10 or so kids waiting by the tour bus. Dime hung out with these kids for a half hour, signed autographs, took pictures with them and gave each kid a handful of guitar picks. Over the course of that evening, I learned a lot about the kind of person Dimebag was. He lived a rock star lifestyle, but there was no ego or attitude involved and he embraced everybody he came into contact with."

Thousands of message boards across the Internet share the same feeling. Fans and non-fans alike share their reactions to Dimebag's demise with each other ... some praising him as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, others recognizing the passing of a genuine human being. Some are even finding comfort in the fact that he went out doing what he loved.

The people Darrell surrounded himself with were all considered his friends. He didn't seem to have any enemies, which may be what most shocks the people that knew him best. In fact, Dimebag was always known as someone who would offer his help to a soul in need. Furthermore, his murder frightens and enrages many in the music community. The band Metal Church were long-time friends of the Abbott family and Jay Reynolds and Kurdt Vanderhoof felt a very close bond with their fallen comrade. The news of Dime's death brought some very sobering realizations to the entire band.

"We were just in Fort Worth a few days ago and Dime's wife Rita, who's an old friend of the band, came out to see us to say 'hello.'" said Jay, "Half our band and our road crew spent the night at his house that night, so you can't even describe how fuckin' ... just .. shocked we are by the whole deal. We're stricken with grief ... I mean .. it's unfathomable that fuckin' somebody can be fuckin' shot when they're fuckin' out performing. We as Metal Church make a very meager living ... I could make more working at a fuckin' job, but it's what I love to do and I do it for the people. And, if you have the people coming up on the stage and shooting you, it's a really hard revelation ... you know? It's a hard thing to swallow. We're actually a little choked up and sick about it right now ... we dedicated our set last night to Dime."

"It's one thing to hear about rock stars and your friends dying in plane accidents and on drug overdoses, but when you hear somebody going like that ... at a show doing their job ... just literally ... on stage," added Kurdt, "I mean ... it's one thing to lose somebody like that, especially when it's somebody you knew that was a friend of yours. To have something so bizarre like that happen ... I ... I just still can't get my head around it. Just to be up on stage and it's like, 'Oh my God!' I mean, what if somebody's mad at another band? That's one of the biggest problems I'm having ... that somebody brought a gun in and just shot the guy right on stage! It's just been a big blur, especially being so close to Dime and Rita ... and we just spent the night at his house ... it's spooky."

The support pouring out from every facet of the music community is staggering. Fans and stars alike are feeling a great loss. Vinnie Paul Abbott is grieving the loss of his brother and eternal band-mate, but he's sincerely thankful for the world's admiration of Dimbag.

"With all his greatness and accomplishments on the guitar, Dime will be missed more for his giving personality, charisma, caring for others, love and most of all his heart! Twice as big as the state of Texas, Dime gave it all everyday to each and every one of us and our lives have forever been hollowed without him. Thanks to all of you for reaching out to us in this time of our immeasurable loss. Rest in peace brother Dime!"

Regardless of your connection with "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, or level of appreciation for his music, there's no denying the loss felt by the entire music community. He was a brother, a friend, a character and an idol. His death will be forever etched into the minds of those that held him dear, but, more importantly, it should remind us that our presence on this earth touches everyone we meet one way or another. And, like it or not, maybe we'll even make a difference in the lives of those we affect.
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