Vinnie Paul, the legendary drummer and co-founder of Texas metal band Pantera, has died at the age of 54. The cause of death has not been made public as of this writing.
Billboard first reported the news, later confirmed on Pantera's official Facebook page.
In 1981, Paul, along with his brother Dimebag Darrell, founded Pantera in Arlington, Texas, and the group became one of the most influential metal bands of their time. Powered by Darrell's riffs, singer Phil Anselmo's vocals and Paul's versatile grooves , the group were nominated for four Grammys before breaking up in 2003. Pantera had nine albums land in the Billboard Top 200, including 1994's "Far Beyond Driven," which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Paul's final Twin Cities gig was at Myth nightclub in 2016. He and Pantera last played in town at Xcel Energy Center in 2001 and were regulars at Ozzfests and other events in Somerset, Wis., where their crazed live sets generated some of the biggest mosh pits ever seen on either side of the state line.
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After Pantera, Paul and Darrell formed Damageplan, before Darrell was murdered on stage at a show in Columbus, Ohio, in December 2004. Damageplan disbanded shortly thereafter.
Born Vincent Paul Abbott, the drummer was currently a member of the metal supergroup Hellyeah with vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett from Mudvayne, guitarist Tom Maxwell from Nothingface, and bassist Bob Zilla. The group last released an album in 2016. It was was formed after Paul returned from an 18-month hiatus following his brother's death. Hellyeah had several dates planned for later this year, including appearances at Bud Light River City Rockfest 2018 in San Antonio, Louder Than Life 2018 in Louisville and Monster Energy's Aftershock 2018 in Sacramento.
Check out the Facebook post below:
Staff writer Chris Riemenschneider contributed to this report.