Former Pantera bassist Rex Brown paid tribute to Vinnie Paul Abbott in a new Rolling Stone piece, saying that Vinnie was his “longtime brother” who “made an incredible mark on the world.”
In a touching remembrance on the Rolling Stone web site, Rex wrote that he has “been devastated, saddened, and shaken, almost beyond words, about” Vinnie Paul’s passing. He went on to say that “there were a lot of great metal drummers who Vinnie was influenced by, but once he got behind the kit, every single one of them had to take a look at what Vinnie Paul, the Brick Wall, was doing. He changed the game. He was the original for his generation, a generation that’s still going. Everybody wanted to play like him. People always thought those were sampled tracks — they were not. Period.”
Brown also praised Vinnie’s engineering skills, saying: “He knew the ins and outs of any board. He learned so young from his dad, who was an experienced engineer. He could get behind the board and do anything. He just had it.”
Rex expressed his gratitude for having “been around the Abbott brothers, to play some part in their legacy, to share more than half of my life on the road and in the studio with them. And I’m so thankful that Vinnie found a home for his unmistakable groove, some peace and happiness, and a new family with Hellyeah, after the unthinkable tragedy in 2004,” he said.
Brown concluded by saying that “the best way to honor Vinnie is to celebrate his life. He approached drumming, and friendship, with his own brand of perfection. We must remember the great times we shared with him.”
