Pantera’s former bassist Rex Brown has penned an emotional tribute to his late former band mate Vinnie Paul, honouring his legacy in a recent Rolling Stone feature.
Vinnie Paul passed away on Friday, June 23rd during his sleep of a “major heart attack”. Since his death, a number of tributes from the music world have poured out in honour of his legacy, remembering his incredible drumming skills and hospitable persona.
In his letter, Brown said that Paul “changed the game”, noting that he inspired a generation and “everybody wanted to play like him”.
“He changed the game,” said Brown. “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 continued to say in the letter, that the best way to honour Vinnie is to “celebrate his life”, reflecting on the way he approached drumming and friendship.
“I don’t think there’ll ever be chemistry like what the four of us shared again,” Brown writes. “I’ve been so blessed in so many ways by having them in my life.”
“The best way to honour 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. Rest in peace, Vinnie, and give Dime a big ole’ fashioned Texas style hug from all of us. You made an incredible mark on the world and you were taken from us way too soon.”
Former Pantera frontman, Phil Anselmo paid tribute to Paul during his memorial in a video message that was shown at the service. Anselmo and Paul had been estranged from each other since Pantera’s break up, with Anselmo providing a short yet touching message.
“Vince, always have love in my heart for you, man, rest in peace.”
Paul’s memorial featured a slew of tributes from other musicians and industry figures, with members of Kid Rock, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Disturbed, Megadeth and Ozzy Osbourne sending flower arrangements that were displayed onstage.
Watch Pantera’s ‘Cowboys From Hell’:
