KORN, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, OZZY Members Remember DIMEBAG

During this past weekend's one-day Ozzfest in Dallas, Chris Steffen of RollingStone.com spoke to members of KORN, SYSTEM OF A DOWN and OZZY OSBOURNE about their memories of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was killed onstage at an Ohio concert in 2004.

Jonathan Davis (KORN): "The shit he did, that's what got me into heavy music — 'Vulgar Display of Power'. I was only into Eighties music before that. The heaviest thing I listened to was SKINNY PUPPY and MINISTRY, but that wasn't metal. When I heard 'Vulgar Display', I was like, 'Holy shit, what the fuck is this?' The first time I ever saw them live, before KORN was even signed, me and Fieldy [KORN bassist] went, and it was PANTERA and SEPULTURA at Irving Meadows in L.A. They came out, started the first song, the curtain dropped, and me and Fieldy just started crying. We looked at each other and we had tears in our eyes because it was so fucking intense and heavy and sick."

Serj Tankian: "When [SYSTEM OF A DOWN] played with PANTERA at the Forum, my parents had come to the show, and my parents are definitely not into heavy music at all. They were older, in their late sixties. What they were doing was very special, to a point where my parents, who are not into any rock or metal or any type of heavy music, really got them. I was blown away, and I said, 'Really? You're not just messing with me?' They said, 'No, we love them. You guys were great, but they are awesome.'"

Blasko (bass, OZZY OSBOURNE): "The first PANTERA song I heard probably would have been 'Cowboys From Hell', which I thought was cool, but I don't think I really got it until 'Vulgar Display of Power'. Then I said, 'Okay, now I get it, now I see what's happening.' When I first heard 'I'm Broken', I thought, 'This is the raddest song ever — the raddest riff.' It just makes me want to break shit. It was like, 'This is the song I wish I wrote.' That was the song where I was just said, 'Fuck!'"

A special one-time only all-star tribute to fallen PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist and Texas native "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was held at this year's Ozzfest.

Fan-filmed video footage of Lars Ulrich of METALLICA performing PINK FLOYD's "Wish You Were Here" alongside Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS),Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS),Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and Pearl Aday (Ian's fiancée and daughter of legendary crooner Meat Loaf) can be viewed below.