Vinnie Paul

{{Infobox musical artist

| image = VinniePaul2008.JPG

| name = Vinnie Paul

| caption = Vinnie Paul in 2008

| image_size =

| birth_name = Vincent Paul Abbott

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1964|03|11}}

| birth_place = Abilene, Texas, U.S.

| origin =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|06|22|1964|03|11}}

| death_place = Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| instrument = {{flatlist|

Drums

}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Musician
producer

}}

| years_active = 1976–2018

| past_member_of = {{flatlist|

}}

| module = {{Infobox person|child=yes|relatives= Jerry Abbott (father)
Dimebag Darrell (brother)}}

}}

Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018) was an American musician best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded Damageplan in 2003 with his younger brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, and was a member of Hellyeah for 12 years from 2006 until his death in 2018.

Several rock media outlets have ranked Abbott as among the greatest metal drummers of all time.{{Cite web|date=April 24, 2021|title=The 66 Best Metal + Hard Rock Drummers of All Time|url=https://loudwire.com/top-hard-rock-metal-drummers-of-all-time/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Loudwire|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2020-03-05|title=Fan Poll: 5 Greatest Metal Drummers of All Time|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fan-poll-5-greatest-metal-drummers-all-time|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Revolver|language=en}}

Early years

Vincent Paul Abbott was born in Abilene, Texas, on March 11, 1964. His parents were Jerry, a country music songwriter and producer, and Carolyn Abbott. Abbott originally played the tuba after being assigned to it in school band class, but he was directed towards the drums by his father, who said there were no career prospects for a tuba player. His father bought him his first drum kit.{{cite book|title =Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, Good Times, and Tragic End of ""Dimebag"" Darrell Abbott|first =Zac|last =Crain|date =June 2, 2009|publisher =Hachette UK|page =10|isbn =9780786748020}}

Abbott cited Peter Criss, Alex Van Halen and Tommy Aldridge{{Cite web |date=2014-10-23 |title=VINNIE PAUL: A Lot Of Newer Metal Drummers 'Play Too Much' |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/vinnie-paul-a-lot-of-newer-metal-drummers-play-too-much/ |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}} as his biggest influences as a drummer.

Career

=Pantera=

Abbott formed the heavy metal band Pantera in 1981 with his brother Darrell Abbott and Terry Glaze on guitars, bassist Tommy D. Bradford, and vocalist Donnie Hart. Upon Hart's departure, Terry Glaze assumed vocal duties. In the summer of 1982, Bradford left the band and was succeeded by Rex Brown. The band released three albums with that lineup.

Pantera recruited vocalist Phil Anselmo in 1987 and released Power Metal (album) in 1988. By 1990, the band had been signed to Atco Records and released Cowboys from Hell, which proved to be the band's turning point. Over the course of four more studio records, a live album and a greatest hits compilation, Anselmo and Pantera were nominated for four best metal performance Grammys for the songs "I'm Broken", "Suicide Note Pt. I", "Cemetery Gates", and "Revolution Is My Name".

In 2001, Anselmo decided to put Pantera on hold because of back pain while he toured and recorded with his side projects. Pantera's official disbandment took place in 2003 for several reasons, but mainly because of the ongoing dispute between Anselmo and the Abbott brothers, although Rex Brown remained neutral. In the years to follow, animosity would stir up between Abbott and Anselmo although Anselmo had publicly announced that he wished for Abbott to forgive him and reform a friendship. However, Abbott stated that he was not interested in speaking to Anselmo.{{cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/pantera-rex-brown-vinnie-paul-wont-speak-to-me-or-philip-anselmo/|title=Pantera's Rex Brown: Vinnie Paul Won't Speak to Me or Philip Anselmo|website=Loudwire|date=August 4, 2017|access-date=June 23, 2018}}

=Damageplan=

After the breakup of Pantera, the Abbott brothers formed the heavy metal band Damageplan with former tattoo artist Bob Zilla on bass and former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on lead vocals. Damageplan recorded one album, New Found Power, which was released on February 10, 2004.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-found-power-mw0000332884 |title=New Found Power - Damageplan |website=Allmusic |last=Loftus |first=Johnny}} The song "Ashes to Ashes", a collaboration with Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, was not completed in time to be featured on the album,{{cite web|title=Pat Lachman interview |publisher=Show & Tell |date=January 29, 2004 |url=http://www.showandtellonline.com/_damageplan/_interview_012904.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040302180615/http://showandtellonline.com/_damageplan/_interview_012904.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2018 }} but it was featured on the soundtrack to the 2004 film The Punisher, and was a bonus track on the Japanese version of New Found Power.{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/damageplan-s-collaboration-with-jerry-cantrell-confirmed-for-punisher-soundtrack/|title=DAMAGEPLAN's Collaboration With JERRY CANTRELL Confirmed For 'Punisher' Soundtrack |work=Blabbermouth|date=February 25, 2004|access-date=June 25, 2018}}

On December 8, 2004, while on tour to support Damageplan's album, Darrell was shot and killed along with three others by Nathan Gale at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1494653/dimebag-darrell-four-others-killed-in-ohio-concert-shooting/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511193504/http://www.mtv.com/news/1494653/dimebag-darrell-four-others-killed-in-ohio-concert-shooting/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 11, 2014 |title=Dimebag Darrell, Four Others Killed In Ohio Concert Shooting |date=December 9, 2004 |website=MTV News |access-date=June 25, 2018}} Damageplan disbanded shortly thereafter. In a 2016 interview with Loudwire, Abbott revealed that there are five unreleased Damageplan tracks that were meant for the band's second album that was set to be released in 2005, but that those tracks have no vocals, only him and Darrell playing on them.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2K-AS-2iAk&t=6m20s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/N2K-AS-2iAk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Pantera / Hellyeah's Vinnie Paul - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction? |date=November 30, 2016 |website=YouTube |access-date=June 25, 2018}}{{cbignore}} Abbott said that he didn't know what to do with those tracks, but he often thought about having some of Darrell's favorite singers like Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden to record vocals for the songs, but he didn't have time to do it because he was focused on his band Hellyeah.

=Hellyeah=

File:Vinnie Paul Uproar 2010.jpg

After the death of Darrell, Abbott formed Big Vin Records in February 2006 and released Rebel Meets Rebel and a DVD, Dimevision, Volume 1. Abbott, along with Cristina Scabbia (co-lead vocalist of Lacuna Coil), wrote a monthly question-and-answer column in Revolver. Abbott maintained endorsement deals with ddrum, Sabian cymbals, and Vic Firth drumsticks. He previously endorsed Tama Drums, Pearl drums, and Remo drumheads and hardware.

In June 2006, after an 18-month hiatus, Abbott was not sure if he would return to music, but eventually joined the heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah, which featured vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett from Mudvayne, guitarist Tom Maxwell from Nothingface, and bassist Bob Zilla from Damageplan, who was a replacement for original bassist Jerry Montano. Abbott recorded six studio albums with the band. In May 2019, it was announced that Hellyeah would tour for the first time since Abbott's death to support the final album he recorded with the band, Welcome Home. Stone Sour drummer Roy Mayorga was chosen as Abbott's replacement.[https://www.altpress.com/news/hellyeah-album-tour-welcome-home-vinnie-paul/ Hellyeah announce first album, tour since Vinnie Paul's death] Alternative Press

=Collaborations=

In 1995, he mixed the songs "Narcissiques anonymes" and "Nits" on Ego, the first album of a Quebec metal band called TSPC.

In November 2008, he handpicked several of his most memorable drum parts to demonstrate in a promotional video for the drum company ddrum: "Use My Third Arm", "Primal Concrete Sledge", "13 Steps to Nowhere", "Domination", and "Becoming".{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH2_Yq0wm3I |title=Vinnie Paul on DDRUMS |publisher=YouTube |date=November 5, 2008 |access-date=October 1, 2011}}

In 2009, he started American Drummer Champions with the aide of friend and influence M. Ludowise, former Downset drummer.

In August 2013, Abbott was featured in a music video for Black Label Society's cover of "Ain't No Sunshine", appearing alongside a horse-masked Zakk Wylde.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icEHA2DGFCk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/icEHA2DGFCk| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Black Label Society - Ain't No Sunshine |date=September 4, 2013 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=July 16, 2014}}{{cbignore}} Wylde and Abbott were well known to be close friends, with Wylde also having been particularly close with Abbott's brother Darrell before his death in 2004.

For several years, Abbott had been trying to publish a cookbook called Drumming up an Appetite with Vinnie Paul;{{cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/hellyeah-vinnie-paul-cookbook/|title=Hellyeah Drummer Vinnie Paul Planning to Release Cookbook|website=Loudwire|date=February 19, 2015 |access-date=August 26, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8MeGU2-lg0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/r8MeGU2-lg0| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Vinnie Paul Talks Cookbooks, Strip Clubs, and Vehicle City Tacos|date=May 19, 2016|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} his girlfriend, Chelsey Yeager, initially mentioned potential for a posthumous release in 2020,{{Cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/vinnie-pauls-long-awaited-cookbook-to-receive-posthumous-release|title=VINNIE PAUL's Long-Awaited Cookbook To Receive Posthumous Release|date=April 9, 2020|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}} but it was only eventually released on March 11, 2025.{{Cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/vinnie-paul-abbotts-long-awaited-cookbook-has-finally-arrived|title=VINNIE PAUL ABBOTT's Long-Awaited Cookbook Has Finally Arrived|date=March 11, 2025|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}}

Death

On June 22, 2018, Abbott died at his Las Vegas home at age 54.{{cite magazine |title=Vinnie Paul, Legendary Drummer for Pantera & Damageplan, Dead at 54 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/obituary/8462386/vinnie-paul-dead-pantera-damageplan-hellyeah |magazine=Billboard |access-date=June 23, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/vinnie-pauls-cause-of-death-pantera-drummer-2345173|title=How did Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul die?|website=NME|date=June 27, 2018}} It was later revealed that Abbott had died from "dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease."{{cite magazine|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/08/late-pantera-drummer-vinnie-paul-cause-of-death/|title=Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul's cause of death revealed|last=Kaufman|first=Spencer|date=August 27, 2018|access-date=August 29, 2018|magazine=Consequence of Sound}} News of his death was initially released on the official Pantera Facebook page, stating his association with the bands Pantera, Damageplan, and Hellyeah, along with a statement requesting that the privacy of his family be respected. Five days before his death, Abbott's final performance took place at The Vinyl at the Hard Rock Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.{{cite web |title=Vinnie Paul Final Photo Before Death Revealed |url=http://www.alternativenation.net/vinnie-paul-final-photo-before-death-revealed/ |publisher=Alternative Nation |access-date=June 22, 2018 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623193937/http://www.alternativenation.net/vinnie-paul-final-photo-before-death-revealed/ |url-status=dead }}

Following his death, tributes from all over the metal community began pouring in, including members of Black Sabbath, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Megadeth, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Periphery, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, the Acacia Strain, In Flames, and many others. He is buried beside his mother, Carolyn, and brother, Darrell, at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas.{{Cite web |url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2018/06/23/metal-celebrities-react-to-the-death-of-vinnie-paul/|title=Metal Celebrities React to the Death of Vinnie Paul|website=Metal Sucks|date=June 23, 2018|access-date=June 25, 2018}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/see-alice-chains-dedicate-emotional-nutshell-performance-vinnie-paul |title=See Alice in Chains Dedicate Emotional "Nutshell" Performance to Vinnie Paul |date=June 25, 2018 |website=Revolver Magazine |access-date=June 25, 2018}} In late 2020, a protective fence was installed around the Abbott burial ground in an effort to stop vandalism; years earlier, following the defacing of his brother's grave, Abbott had remarked that the vandalism was "a real disrespectful thing".{{Cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/pantera-dimebag-darrell-vinnie-paul-graves-fence/|title=A Fence Now Protects the Graves of Pantera's Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul|website=Loudwire|last=Trapp|first=Philip|date=December 28, 2020|access-date=April 14, 2021}}

Equipment

File:Hellyeah-13.jpg

Abbott used Tama drums during the Cowboys from Hell album and tour from 1990 until 1992.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf-GLpLj5kY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/cf-GLpLj5kY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (Live @ Monsters of Rock, Moscow 1991) [HD]|date=July 28, 2011|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7EQlfprV9E| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617191414/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7EQlfprV9E| archive-date=2011-06-17 | url-status=dead|title=Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (Video)|date=April 7, 2010|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}} On the Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven albums and tours respectively, he used Remo drums.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z81qSNR7HH8| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110730201727/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z81qSNR7HH8&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1| archive-date=2011-07-30 | url-status=dead|title=Pantera - Walk (Video)|date=April 7, 2010|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-V8kYT1pvE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/2-V8kYT1pvE| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Pantera - I'm Broken (Official Video)|date=October 29, 2009|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} Abbott endorsed Remo until The Great Southern Trendkill, when he changed his endorsement to Pearl drums.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxeXAnquFYw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/bxeXAnquFYw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=PanterA Walk LiVE TV proshot 1996 HD 2012 720p|date=November 27, 2012|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} He endorsed Pearl from 1996 until 2008,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XI1DD_vJuY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/_XI1DD_vJuY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Pantera - Revolution Is My Name (Official Video)|date=October 26, 2009|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6KnDf2Zqt4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/Z6KnDf2Zqt4| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Pantera - Live Ozzfest 2000 (HQ Audio)|date=February 13, 2012|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} when he made his latest change to ddrum.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH2_Yq0wm3I|title=Vinnie Paul on DDRUMS|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=August 26, 2017|publisher=YouTube}} Abbott used Sabian cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks throughout his career.{{cite web |url=http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/paul.php |title=Vic Firth Signature Artist: Vinny Paul |publisher=Vicfirth.com |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623112825/http://vicfirth.com/artists/paul.php/ |url-status=dead }} He played the drumsticks backwards, holding the tapered end of the sticks. The tapered ends were carved to give extra grip.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4LVFVzgxFo| title=Vinnie Paul - Drum Cam - GoPro - 2011|date=February 15, 2021|access-date=June 11, 2024|publisher=YouTube}} Abbott was also known for using triggered samples mixed with live-miced drums during live shows.{{cite web|url=http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2010/07/vinnie-paul-2/|title=Vinnie Paul: Gearing Up - Modern Drummer Magazine|date=July 15, 2010|website=Moderndrummer.com|access-date=August 26, 2017}} Starting in 2010, he used a ddrum Vinnie Paul signature series drum kit, with Evans drum heads, drum hardware, ddrum and Roland electronics, and Danmar red wood beaters and kick pads.{{cite web|url=http://www.danmarpercussion.com/endo1.htm|title=Danmar Percussion Products USA - Endorsers|website=Danmarpercussion.com|access-date=August 26, 2017}}