ANTHRAX, BIOHAZARD, FOZZY, KING'S X, MINISTRY, ARMORED SAINT Members Pay Tribute To DIMEBAG At 2026 'Dimebash' Concert In Los Angeles

Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX, PANTERA),Chris Jericho (FOZZY),Dino "Jelusick" Jelusić (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, WHITESNAKE),Doug Pinnick (KING'S X),Tony Campos (STATIC-X, FEAR FACTORY),Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT),Monte Pittman (MINISTRY),Billy Graziadei (BIOHAZARD),Carla Harvey (ex-BUTCHER BABIES),Roy Mayorga (Jerry Cantrell, STONE SOUR, HELLYEAH) and Chris Broderick (IN FLAMES, ex-MEGADETH) are among the musicians who took part in last night's "Dimebash" concert — an all-star jam tribute to "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the late co-founder and guitarist of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN — at the Belasco in Los Angeles, California. Fan-filmed video of the event can be seen below.

Abbott, one of the most beloved and respected musicians in hard rock, was shot onstage during a DAMAGEPLAN concert on December 8, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio by a 25-year-old ex-Marine named Nathan Gale. Gale murdered a total of four people and wounded three others before being killed himself by police officer James D. Niggemeyer, who arrived on the scene minutes after Gale began his rampage.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Gale seemed to deliberately target Abbott, leading to speculation that the young man, who had a history of mental illness, held a grudge against Dimebag and his brother, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott, for the break-up of PANTERA in 2002. Columbus police closed their investigation in October of 2005 without establishing a motive for the shootings.

Gale jumped a fence surrounding a patio outside the club as DAMAGEPLAN began playing its first song. He then walked through the crowd and entered the stage from behind a stack of amplifiers. He pulled a handgun and shot Abbott in the head, then turned the gun on those who tried to intervene.

DAMAGEPLAN crew member Jeffrey Thompson, club security guard Erin Halk and audience member Nathan Bray also were killed. Band manager Christopher Paluska and band technician John Brooks were wounded.

The carnage ended when Niggemeyer entered the club through a rear door and fatally shot Gale as Gale held a gun to Brooks's head.

Abbott and Paul formed PANTERA in the mid-eighties in Texas. The band recorded four independent albums before their 1990 major label debut, "Cowboys From Hell", introduced a heavier sound and made them a favorite with metal fans. 1994's "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 without benefit of a commercial hit single.

The group splintered in 2002 following the departure of volatile lead singer Philip Anselmo. Dime and Vinnie, as they were known to their fans, regrouped with DAMAGEPLAN, releasing the band's debut album, "New Found Power", in February of 2004. The group was touring in support of the record at the time of the shootings.

Abbott's death was a devastating blow to the close-knit hard rock and metal community. He was known to his fellow musicians for his hospitality, friendship and partying spirit, and was a legend among fans and peers for his powerful, innovative and unmistakable playing style.

Several of Dime's final projects, including a country-metal album called REBEL MEETS REBEL and a DVD titled "Dimevision - Vol. 1: That's The Fun I Have", were issued in the years following his death by Big Vin Records, a label started by Vinnie Paul.

Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown reunited in 2022, drafting in acclaimed musicians Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) to replace the late Abbott brothers, Vincent and Darrell.

The reformed PANTERA made its live debut in December 2022 in Mexico and has since headlined a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staged some of its own headline tours. They have also supported METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 at the age of 54 in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. He was buried next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas.