Well this is a bit of a pleasant shocker. A few weeks ago, Dimebag's girlfriend, Rita Haney organized Dimebash, where a bunch of Dime's friends would get together and jam on old Pantera tunes. Kerry King, one of the people who got the invite, let it slip that Phil Anselmo was going to be there, but that was quickly shot down by festival organizers. We were left to wonder why would King lie to us like that? It's not like he is in the business of starting gossip. Well, turns out Phil was supposed to be there but had to back out at the last minute due to pneumonia.
Turns out Rita personally invited Phil out and he committed to doing it! This is certainly a huge change of heart for Rita who had some less than pleasant things to say about Phil two years ago. But I guess time really does heal all wounds, as she mentions in the interview above that they reconnected at Download Festival a few years ago and she has softened her stance on Phil. That's really a good thing to hear, and a positive move for all parties. Apparently, Dime's brother Vinnie Paul was left out of the loop on this one though, and might be a little perturbed when he finds out. Drama!
