While no cause of death has been officially released, there is some more info on the tragic passing of drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott. Vinnie made his name drumming in the legendary band Pantera, as well as in Hellyeah, Damageplan and Rebel Meets Rebel. Late Friday night, Pantera's social media page announced Paul had passed away suddenly.
Yesterday, TMZ reported that Vinnie had died in his sleep in his Las Vegas home. His body was turned over to the medical examiner to determine the cause of death, and then he will be flown back to his home state of Texas to be buried between his mom and his brother, Dimebag Darrell. A new report from the Las Vegas Review Journal suggests that Vinnie died of a "massive heart attack."
The Review Journal stated "Sources who knew Paul said late Friday and also today that he had suffered a major heart attack, but there has been no official confirmation of his cause of death."
"This is such a shock because he was so excited about finishing up the [new HELLYEAH] album and getting back on the road," singer Franky Perez, a longtime friend of Paul's, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I'm still trying to piece this together."
Paul made no secret of his rock and roll lifestyle. Friends from all across the rock and metal community have been paying tribute to Vinnie, showing just how many lives he's touched. We've been compiling the tributes here.
Vinnie's longtime girlfriend Chelsey Yeager took to her Instagram earlier today (Sunday, June 24) to share a photo of her kissing Vinnie Paul in a car, along with the following message: "I want to thank each & every one of you guys for sending your love! Please please give me & all of our family/friends time. I can't begin to describe the pain in my heart from this nightmare… I have absolutely no other words."
Late last night, former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo chose to limit his tribute to a photo which said everything that needed to be said:
