Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul sat down with Shane “Rover” French on Wednesday (July 12) on the show ‘Rover’s Morning Glory’ and was grilled on a number of topics by the radio host, including the breakup and possible reunion of Pantera and the horrific murder of his brother Dimebag Darrell in 2004.
When asked why Pantera broke up in the first place, Paul says, “That’s a good question, because it never became an official thing.”
“The singer [Phil Anselmo] had gone off and done his own thing and it really felt like we were not respected at all,” he says. “He had done it before, but this time it had gone to another level. We felt like that was the end of it and that’s when we started Damageplan. It was time to figure it out and get on the horse and go ride again.”
It was while touring with Damageplan in December of 2004 when Darrell was shot to death right in front of Vinnie Paul by a crazed gunman while performing in Columbus, Ohio. Asked if a concrete reason was ever established as to why the assailant committed the act, Paul says authorities, “Never came to a true conclusion.”
“He definitely had some serious mental issues,” the drummer says. “He had been discharged from the military, he had some disillusions that he had written our lyrics and the band had stolen them from him. We really will never know.”
Paul also says that he doesn’t know if the killer’s family ever reached out to him. “If they did, I don’t recall, and I didn’t know them to start with, so, it’s just better for me to deal with my loss on my own.”
Asked about Anselmo having said negative things about Darrell that were indirectly responsible for his murder, Paul says, “I’m just gonna say I have no comment on any of that, man. I’m beyond Pantera. I’ve done so many other things with my life since then; I always believe if you live in the past, you have no future. So, man, I’m happy doing what I do with Hellyeah, and I’m gonna leave it at that man”
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