Pantera drummer and co-founder Vinnie Paul dies aged 54

Former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul has died. He was 54-years-old.

A statement on Pantera’s Facebook reads: "Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away. Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands Pantera and Hellyeah. No further details are available at this time. The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time."

Alongside his late younger brother ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott, Vinnie founded Pantera in 1981 and over the course of their first three albums they embraced a glam metal sound that had parallels to bands including KISS and Van Halen.

With Phil Anselmo recruited as frontman in the late eighties, they took their music into heavier realms and in 1992 unleashed their influential sixth album ‘Vulgar Display of Power.’

After Pantera split in 2003, Vinnie and Dimebag went on to form Damageplan and they released one studio album ‘New Found Power’ before Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio in December 2004. He was just 38.

In June 2006, Vinnie formed Hellyeah which also featured Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett from Mudvayne, guitarist Tom Maxwell from Nothingface, and bassist Bob Zilla from Damageplan.

Alongside fellow conctant members Maxwell and Gray, they released five studio albums together including, most recently, 2016’s ‘Undeniable’.

A number of stars from across the rock world have paid tribute to Vinnie Paul. Read some of the tributes below:

• Pantera