Pantera member Rex Brown has come up with some bold allegations regarding Dimebag’s death. Gibson TV, the iconic, American guitar maker’s award-winning, worldwide online network, has premiered the fifth episode of the show titled “Icons” — a longform interview series featuring some of the most iconic artists, producers, and music business pioneers in the world. In the new episode of “Icons” out, Gibson TV sat down with Rex Brown, the acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, solo-artist, and member of Pantera.
Rex Brown makes bold claims
In this intimate look into his musical journey, which was filmed in December 2020, Rex dives deep into his music influences ranging from James Jamerson, John Entwistle, KISS and ZZ Top, while sharing personal stories surrounding his childhood, the enduring legacy of Pantera and more.
Touching upon the breakup of Pantera and the rift between singer Philip Anselmo and the Abbott brothers — Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott — including a 2004 Metal Hammer interview in which Anselmo said of Dimebag, “Physically, of course, he deserves to be beaten severely,” Rex said: “The Phil thing… Yeah, it just got gnarly [between them]… We don’t talk about that shit in the f***ing press, fellows.”
Dimebag was shot and killed in December 2004 onstage in Columbus, Ohio by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of Pantera were stealing his thoughts. At the time, Dimebag was performing with Damage plain, the band he and Vinnie Paul formed after Pantera broke up in 2003. Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag’s death.
Brown told Gibson TV that Anselmo’s comments were unfairly linked to some of the guitarist’s shooter’s motive.
“[Vinnie] would not have anything to do with Phil — period,” Rex said. “He thought that that was the reason his brother was dead. I disagree with that. I think this was a nut that had already been out there planning and premeditating whatever move he was gonna make.”
