Early years

Darrell Lance Abbott, also known as "Diamond Darrell","Dimebag Darrell", "Dimebag" or simply "Dime" (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004) was an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. He also performed in the southern rock band Rebel Meets Rebel.
Darrell was born to Carolyn and Jerry Abbott, a country musician and producer.He took up guitar when he was 12, and his first guitar was a Hondo Les Paul he got with a small amp, winning a series of local guitar competitions, where in one he was awarded his first Dean ML. Coincidentally, his father had bought him a cherryburst finish Dean ML standard the morning before the competition, so he only had a few hours of playing time on it. These and another contest prize, his first Randall amplifier, are the two staples of his style and sound.
Abbott frequently appeared in guitar magazines and in readers' polls, and wrote a long-running Guitar World magazine column, which was compiled into the book, Riffer Madness. He was praised for his tone and was included in "The 50 Greatest Tones of All Time" by Guitar Player magazine. Remembered for his amiable nature and rapport with fans, Abbott was described by All music as "one of the most influential stylists in modern metal.