Obituary: Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott

Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott, rock guitarist. Died aged 38.

Pantera founder and Damageplan guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott was shot and killed during a heavy-metal rock concert in Columbus, Ohio, on December 8.

Three others died in the shooting before the gunman was shot by a policeman. Ex-Beatle John Lennon was shot on the same date 24 years ago.

Abbott and his brother, Vinnie, formed Pantera in the 1980s. They began playing covers of songs by Van Halen and Iron Maiden, but on the advice of their father, country songwriter Jerry Abbott, started writing their own material.

Pantera's debut album, Metal Magic, was released in 1983. Cowboys from Hell was released in 1990, and the band's third major-label album, Far Beyond Driven, topped the US pop album charts in 1994, and received a Grammy nomination.

Pantera sold over six million records, but broke up after 13 years. Dimebag and Vinnie formed Damageplan a year later. Black Sabbath founder Ozzy Osbourne, who toured with Pantera, said after the shooting, "Dimebag was a dear friend of mine. I'm absolutely beside myself with grief."