What Was Dimebag Darrell's Net Worth?
Dimebag Darrell was an American guitarist and songwriter who had a net worth of $700 thousand at the time of his death in 2004. That is the same as around $1 million today. That number did not include the value of future royalty payments. According to legal documents filed after his death, Dimebag's estate was worth $700,000. His personal property was worth $250,000. His home in Dalworthington Gardens, Texas, was worth $450,000. The value of his estate did not include copyrights or other Intellectual Property he may have owned.
Dimebag Darrell was murdered by a deranged fan during a 2004 performance. He was 38 years old. Darrell was a founding member of the bands Pantera and Damageplan with his brother Vinnie Paul. Darrell is considered to be one of the driving forces associated with groove metal. In 1981, he formed Pantera with his brother, and the band started achieving commercial success in 1990 with their major label debut album "Cowboys from Hell." Their breakthrough album, "Vulgar Display of Power," was released in 1992. Their 1994 album "Far Beyond Driven" debuted at #1 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. Lead singer Phil Anselmo overdosed in 1996 after becoming addicted to heroin in 1995. Pantera was disbanded in 2003. Darrell and his brother formed Damageplan and released their debut album, "New Found Power," in 2004. The album reached #38 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. Darrell was ranked #92 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list (2011), and Gibson ranked him #5 on its list of "The Top 10 Metal Guitarists of All Time" (2015).
Early Life
Dimebag Darrell was born Darrell Lance Abbott on August 20, 1966, in Ennis, Texas. He was the son of Jerry and Carolyn Abbott. His father worked as a country music producer. He was raised with his older brother, Vinnie Paul. His parents divorced in 1979, and the brothers lived with their mother in Arlington, Texas, though they continued regularly seeing their father as well.
At the age of 12, Darrell began learning to play the guitar. He was influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss, and Van Halen. His brother Vinnie had already begun learning how to play the drums, and they began playing together, inspired in large part by the Van Halen brothers. Their first jam session consisted of playing "Smoke on the Water" for six hours. Darrell became very good at the guitar in a matter of years, winning so many local contests that he was asked to judge the competitions rather than compete to give others a chance to win.
Pantera
In 1981, Pantera was formed. It was comprised of Darrell, Vinnie, Terry Glaze, Tommy Bradford, and Donny Hart. Hart and Bradford later left, and Rex Brown joined. Darrell moved into the position of the lead guitarist. He adopted the stage name Diamond Darrell in reference to the Kiss song "Black Diamond."
Pantera originally had a glam metal style inspired by Van Halen and Kiss. The band signed to Metal Magic Records, which was created by Darrell and Vinnie's dad, Jerry. Jerry served as the band's first manager and producer during this time. In 1983, the band released its first album, "Metal Magic." Darrell was only 16. The following year, they released "Projects in the Jungle" and then "I Am the Night" in 1985. Both albums followed the glam metal style, though "I Am the Night" took on a heavier style.
Around this time, the members of the band began listening to bands like Slayer and Metallica. Glaze ultimately left the band due to their desire to move towards heavier music. He was replaced by Phil Anselmo. Pantera then released "Power Metal" in 1988, which marked a change in style. In 1990, they released "Cowboys in Hell." Darrell's guitar playing was particularly central to the sound of "Cowboys in Hell." The album became central to the development of groove metal, a sub-genre that shared the intensity of thrash metal but at a slower tempo. The album was certified platinum in 1997. In support of the album, Pantera played nearly 200 shows and toured for two years.
As Pantera's sound transformed, so did Darrell's appearance. He sported a dyed goatee, long hair, a razorblade pendant, and cargo shorts and sleeveless shirts. He also began going by Dimebag Darrell to better fit his persona. Over the next few years, Pantera experienced great success around the world. They released a number of charting albums and tracks but ultimately disbanded due to a widening rift between Anselmo, the singer, and the other three members of the band. The band released a greatest hits album, "The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!" in 2003, which marked their separation.
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Damageplan
To avoid legal trouble for continuing Pantera without Anselmo, Darrell and his brother decided to form a new band, Damageplan. They recorded demos in Darrell's backyard studio and signed with Elektra Records in 2003. Their debut album, "New Found Power," sold modestly. The group spent most of 2004 touring on its "Devastation Across the Nation" tour. They tried to rebuild their fanbase by touring in nightclubs across the country.
In addition, Darrell and Vinnie had another side project called Gasoline. The band covered tracks by artists like Pat Travers, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, W.A.S.P, Thin Lizzy, and Quiet Riot. They often played New Year's Eve shows.
Personal Life and Death
Darrell had known Rita Haney since he was eight years old, as they grew up in the same neighborhood. They began dating in 1984 and though they never married, they remained together until Darrell's death.
In December 2004, Damageplan was performing at a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. Nathan Gale, a deranged fan, rushed the stage during the band's first song and shot Darrell multiple times with a semi-automatic pistol. The band's head of security was also fatally shot while tacking Gale. Two others were also killed and three wounded before Gale was shot by a police officer. Darrell was pronounced dead at the scene at the age of 38. His last words were reportedly "Van Halen."
At his public memorial, thousands of fans attended, in addition to artists like Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Corey Taylor, Jerry Cantrell, and Dino Cazares. Darrell was buried alongside his mother at the Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas. In a touching move, Eddie Van Halen had his "Van Halen II" guitar buried with Dimebag. Darrell and Eddie met just once, at a Van Halen show a few weeks before his murder.
Darrell is regarded as one of the most influential guitarists of all time, especially in the metal genre. He was posthumously inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk in 2007. A concert held in his memory, Dimebash, began in 2010. Performers have included Dave Grohl, Tom Morello, and Kerry King.
