Let Me Tell You A Story

Fact IV

The Death of Dimebag Darrell

Dimebag Darrell, real name Darrell Lance Abbott, was one of metal's most beloved guitarists. While a member of Pantera, he sold millions of records and played and packed venues around the world. But one man concocted a grudge against Dimebag Darrell. When Darrell was playing with his new band, Damageplan, Nathan Gale stormed the stage. He killed four people and wounded many more. This is the story of that night.

Born in Texas Darrell and his brother - Vinnie Paul - were avid musicians. Their dad was a country music producer. Playing music together helped them deal with their parents' divorce. Darrell first picked up a guitar when he was twelve, while his brother started playing the drums. They loved heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.

Darrell's country music-loving father started listening to metal to help encourage his sons to play, even if he didn't like the genre. Darrell and Vinnie Paul modelled themselves on Alex and Eddie Van Halen. They knew they wanted to be in the music business. They knew they wanted to play metal.

Darrell's brother was asked to join a band but only accepted on the condition that both of them could play. The band went through a number of line up changes, but they eventually would be known as Pantera.

After evolving their way through various genres and members, Pantera started getting serious as a glam metal outfit. They loved KISS, so they wore spandex and makeup on stage. This resulted in their first album, Metal Magic. Darrell was 16 at the time it was released.

They released two more albums in this style before the Abbott brother started listening to heavier music. There was a conflict in the band: not everyone wanted to play heavier music. Soon enough, Pantera's singer was replaced.

Pantera released a string of critically acclaimed albums. But the good times would not last forever. After years of internal conflicts, drug problems, and creative differences, the band split. Their legacy in the metal world was assured and there was much interest around what the members would do next.

After Pantera broke up, Darrell and Vinnie Paul decided to form a new band. They came up with Damageplan.

They released their debut album in 2004. While not as successful as Pantera, they cracked the Billboard Top 50 in their first week.

Then, they hit the road.

Touring and playing to the fans was what the brothers knew best. They booked venues across the country, including one night at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio.

It was December 8, 2004. The venue held 600 people and around 250 tickets had been sold. One man had seen Damageplan play before. His name was Nathan Gale.

Gale had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He would listen to Pantera before his football games to psyche himself up. He had always been a Pantera fan. Gale had been affected when the band had broken up in 2003. He began to believe that he wrote most of Pantera's most famous songs. He believed the band were trying to steal his identity. 

Gale paced up and down outside the venue as the opening acts played. An employee spotted him and shouted asking whether or not he was coming inside. Gale didn't want to see "no shitty band", he shouted back. He was waiting for Damageplan.

Deciding that Gale didn't have a ticket, the bar employee asked Gale to leave. He scuttled away around a corner and when he heard Damageplan taking the stage, Gale leapt a six-foot-high fence. He snuck in through a side door. Damageplan started their set with the song 'Breathing New Life".

Gale rushed the stage.

Gale made straight for Darrell, unleashing a volley of shots at the guitarists. Darrell went down, shot in the cheek, the ear, the back of his head, and the hand. Some crowd members thought it was all part of the act. They pumped their fists in the air. But the tour manager knew better.

He charged on to the stage, only for Gale to shoot him in the chest. The head of security also jumped and tackled Gale. Gale fired again while they struggled on the ground. A fan jumped from the crowd, eager to help his heroes. He followed the same fate as the rest.

The police were on the scene within three minutes. An officer entered the club through a rear door, striding through the chaos and confusion. He raised his shotgun and fired once. Gale was hit in the head and died instantly.

As soon as paramedics arrived, they pronounced the legendary guitarist dead. In all, four were dead and three were wounded. At the time of his death, Gale still had more than 30 rounds left. He had intended to kill many more on that night.