The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that sources who knew Vinnie Paul claim the former Pantera and Hellyeah drummer suffered a “a major heart attack” when he died in his sleep on Friday, June 22nd at his home in Las Vegas. He was 54 years old.
A heart attack occurs when one or more of your coronary arteries become blocked. Over time, a coronary artery can narrow from the buildup of various substances, including cholesterol (atherosclerosis). This condition, known as coronary artery disease, causes most heart attacks.
Vinnie Paul’s body has been turned over to the medical examiner to determine the official cause of death, TMZ reported. After that, he will be flown back to his home state of Texas to be buried between his mother and brother.
“This is such a shock because he was so excited about finishing up the [new HELLYEAH] album and getting back on the road,” singer Franky Perez, a longtime friend of Vinnie Paul’s, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m still trying to piece this together.”
In a 2014 interview with “The Jasta Show”, Vinnie Paul lamented the fact that the “fun side of rock and roll” seemed to be missing from many of the tours, with most musicians preferring to relax on their buses and catch up with their loved ones instead of partaking in the kind of debauchery that was embraced in the ’80s and most of the ’90s.
“The bands that are out here these days are not like what they used to be, and it really does affect you being able to get tours and stuff,” Vinnie said. “I mean, you cannot go around being the Guns N’ Roses kind of party band that used to be out there.”
