“I remember Dimebag as a warrior,” wrote Phil Anselmo in an exclusive piece for Rolling Stone in 2014. The former Pantera member published a moving tribute remembering his colleague and friend, and now, five years later, we remember and keep alive the memory of the legendary guitarist.
In the text, Anselmo talks about how Dimebag was a special, lively person and comments, "I hate using the word 'murdered' to say how he left us." According to the vocalist, speaking that way is a "cold and horrible way to talk." The musician used the tribute to vent about the difficulty of dealing with the loss, commenting that each year it becomes harder to accept and confesses, "I still don't understand. I don't see the point in it."
The tribute is lengthy and covers various moments that Anselmo shared with Dimebag. He recalls the first time he saw the guitarist in 1987, when he was auditioning to join the band. "He was still called Diamond Darrell," he says, "I had to tell him that the name was bad and that he should change it to Dimebag, he fell in love with the nickname and changed it on the spot."
After sharing some stories and lessons he learned from his friend, Anselmo confesses: “Losing him forced me to work harder to do justice to his memory. I want to keep his memory sacred and do the best I can for that, because I know that's what he would want me to do, my best.”
Dimebag Darrell died on December 8, 2004, in Ohio, United States, during a show with his band Damageplan . The guitarist was shot and killed by Nathan Gale, who entered the Alrosa Villa club to attack him.
Read the full article here (in English).
