Dimebag Darrell Gets Rockwalk Induction

Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the great Pantera guitarist who died in 2004, will be posthumously inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk, the only sidewalk gallery dedicated to honoring those artists who have made a significant impact and lasting contribution to the growth and evolution of rock and roll. A bronze bust of Abbott will be unveiled during the ceremony and later installed along the RockWalk posthumous inductee wall, which also includes Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley and Bill Graham, among others. Abbott will be located directly adjacent to other equally accomplished musicians and innovators on the RockWalk such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, the Ramones, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker and Earth Wind & Fire. The event will take place at Hollywood’s RockWalk, 7425 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA, on Thursday, May 17, at noon. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

One of metal’s finest guitar players, Dimebag Darrell Abbott was born on August 20, 1966 in Dallas, Texas. Born into a musical family, his father was a country & western songwriter and producer, Dimebag Darrell’s interest in hard rock and heavy metal began to grow upon his discovery of Kiss and their guitarist, Ace Frehley. He entered numerous guitar competitions in the Dallas area which resulted in him winning an instrument that he would eventually become closely associated with, the Dean ML. In 1981, Dimebag Darrell along with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, formed what would turn out to be one of the most popular heavy metal bands of the Nineties. Beginning with Cowboys from Hell, Pantera touched off a string of classic metal releases; Vulgar Display of Power followed and with it, brought the band star status and domination in the hard rock/metal music community for a decade. The band received four Grammy nominations, Platinum for The Great Southern Trendkill, Cowboys from Hell and Pantera’s Greatest Hits and double Platinum for Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven, which had its debut at Number One on the Billboard album chart. Released in 2000, Reinventing the Steel was the final studio effort from the band. Darrell and Vinnie went on to form Damageplan, releasing New Found Power in 2003. During a Damageplan performance in Columbus, Ohio, on December 8, 2004, Dimebag was fatally shot at the age of 38. Dimebag Darrell Abbott will always be remembered as one of the most influential guitarists in modern metal music.