Vinnie Paul Abbott

Dan Mitchell
Aug 1, 2020
1 min read

Updated: May 4

Vinnie Paul was born Vincent Paul Abbott on March 11th, 1964, in Abilene, Texas.

Music ran in the family — his father, Jerry Abbott, was a country musician and producer, and his younger brother Darrell Abbott would go on to become one of metal’s most iconic guitarists. Although Vinnie originally wanted to play the tuba, his father encouraged him to pick up the drums instead, a decision that shaped the rest of his life.

Vinnie and Darrell formed Pantera, a band that would evolve from glam beginnings into one of the most influential metal acts of all time. Together, they recorded nine albums and helped redefine heavy music for a generation.

After Pantera split, the Abbott brothers created a new metal project, Damageplan. Their final show took place on December 8th, 2004 — the night Darrell and several others were tragically shot on stage.

In time, Vinnie returned to music, joining the metal supergroup Hellyeah. The band released six albums, with the final one arriving after Vinnie’s passing.

Vinnie Paul died on June 22nd, 2018, due to heart‑related issues.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

One of the greatest drummers of all time. Vinnie was amazing when I saw him perform with his band HellYeah.

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