Vinnie Paul Abbott, legendary drummer for Pantera, Hellyeah and Damageplan, has died at the age of 54.

A statement on Pantera's Facebook page reads,

Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away.
Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands
Pantera and Hellyeah.
No further details are available at this time.
The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time.

Hellyeah's record label, Eleven Seven Music, also issued a statement which reads as follows:

Vinnie Paul Abbott wasn’t just a drummer, he was an iconic fixture in the metal and hard rock community, a pioneer, and an absolute legend. He was a self taught drummer who went on to win many awards for his impeccable skills throughout his career.

A founding member of Pantera, DamagePlan and his current band HellYeah, Vinnie was a vital force for bands and millions of fans worldwide. Whether fans were turning their volume to 11 or headbanging their hearts out at live shows, Vinnie was an inspiration.

His most recent release, Hellyeah’s UNDEN!ABLE contained three hit singles, thanks to support from Sirius XM’s Octane. “All of us at Octane are so broken hearted to hear of the passing of our brother Vinnie Paul. We sent love to his family, band members and fans. You will be missed. Thinking of you reunited and rockin’ with Dime… Rest in Peace, Vinnie Paul Abbott”, Octane released in a statement.

Today, the world not only lost a legend, but also a genuine human being who lived to put a smile on the faces of everyone he met. May he be reunited with his brother as we all strive to continue his legacy.

Eleven Seven Music is heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, bandmates, friends, and fans through this difficult time.

Vinnie Paul was born on March 11, 1964 in Abilene, Texas. He and his brother, the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, formed Pantera together in 1981. The band initially played a hard rock / glam style, releasing three albums all under the guidance of their father Jerry, a country music songwriter. After landing new singer Philip Anselmo in 1986, Pantera changed course with a heavier style on Power Metal, which was released two years later.

The biggest change came on the groundbreaking follow-up, Cowboys From Hell, which kickstarted the legacy of Pantera. With Vinnie Paul's thunderous fills and precision attack in perfect unison with his brother's lean riffing, the band dominated the '90s and paved the way for more extreme music to enter the mainstream.

After the dissolution of Pantera, the Abbott brothers formed Damageplan. Tragically, Dimebag was fatally shot onstage during a concert in Ohio in 2004. The drummer later returned to music with Hellyeah in 2006. The band released five full length records, the most recent being 2016's Unden!able.

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