Jerry Abbott, the Father of Dimebag Darell and Vinnie Paul, has Died

Jerry Abbott, the father of late, great Pantera drummer “Vinnie Paul” Abbott and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, passed away at the age of 80.

His dead was reported to Blabbermouth by his friend Danny Wood Sr.:

“I’m very sad to tell everyone of the passing of a close friend Jerry Abbot,” he writes. “He died last night in a Denton care giving facility. His Family is having a private Funeral for Family and close Friends with a Memorial Service being planned. Details soon.”

In addition to being father to metal royalty, Abbott produced the first three Pantera records, Metal Magic in 1983, Projects In The Jungle in 1984, and I Am The Night in 1985. He also engineered their 1988 record Power Metal, put out all four under his own Metal Magic Records, and worked with the band on their 1994 album Far Beyond Driven at his Abtrax Recording studio.

He also had his own career as country music songwriter and producing other bands.

And though Abbott’s sons passed away before the band had run its course, Pantera are, of course, still alive and kicking. Recently, bassist Rex Brown, who joined the band in 1982, claims that the new iteration of the band is just as legitimate as it always has been, despite two key members no longer being with us:

“Two of our beloved brothers that just aren’t here anymore man, that’s life, you know? They’re just not with us man. That’s just fate; it’s the way the ball rolls, dude.

“This is no tribute band—Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven’t played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what’s happened is just extraordinarily fucking insane, you know?”

Our hearts go out to Abbott’s friends, family, and all the professional collaborators he impacted during this sensitive time.