A number of heavy metal musicians have paid tribute to Dimebag Darrell (DAMAGEPLAN, ex-PANTERA) who was tragically murdered last night.

- Ozzy Osbourne: "I'm absolutely beside myself with grief. I can't for the life of me understand why someone would do this.

- SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor: "He could take a riff that would take somebody a year to master and he could rip it off in seconds. He made everything look like he was playing 'Smoke on the Water' with one finger.

"He was one of the coolest people I've ever met. The guy just loved to laugh and he loved to make you laugh. And he loved to make you do something that you would never do in a million years. He was a guy that lived in the moment. His philosophy was, 'Let's do something that is gonna make us remember tonight for the rest of our lives.' And that's something I'm gonna fucking miss for the rest of mine."

- METALLICA's Lars Ulrich: "This is unbelievable. To sit here and talk about Darrell in the past tense seems so wrong, so unfair, so unjust, I don't even know what to say. My heart goes out to Vinnie, to their families, to the other band members, and to the families and friends of the other people that were killed or injured, in this fucking senseless act of selfishness and stupidity.

"In 1985 I was fortunate enough to meet both Darrell and his brother in Dallas on tour. The first thing me and my friend did as soon as that tour was over, was to head straight back to Dallas and hang out with Darrell and Vinnie for a long time, cuz they were the coolest mutherfuckers that we had met after criss-crossing the states for three months. That was the beginning of a friendship that was anchored in love, respect, fun, outrageousness, music, booze, sweat, late nights, early mornings, hangovers, headaches, pounding eardrums, sore bodies... the list goes on.

"There's a tendency in these fucked up moments to use the word 'I' a lot and focus on one's own feelings of pity and shock... so instead let it just be known that thru these eyes Darrell was incredibly warm, open, fun, nutty, forthcoming, talented, embracing, unpretentious, accommodating and he always had a very attractive innocence about him that obviously made him never threatening and always welcoming.

"Darrell and his brother were the cornerstone of musical adventures that were always groundbreaking, pushing boundaries, challenging to themselves and to their fans, respected by their peers and always true musicians' musicians, and today the rock world is worse off because of this untimely and senseless waste.

"Much love and respect and thanks for letting me be a small part of your life and I know you are already having fun and throwing it down with Bon Scott, Keith Moon, John Bonham, Jimi, Cliff B., and the rest of the musicians and troublemakers that you are hanging with so prematurely."

- Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT): "Last night was the 9/11 for metal to me and the metal community. Not only did PANTERA inspire me to have the courage to express myself they were also one of my main motivations to form LIMP BIZKIT. I am sad beyond comprehension. I mourn for the loved ones of dimebag and the others murdered. a living legend has been taken from us. life has permanantly changed for me as of last night. I believe everything happens for a reason and in no way do i understand the reason for this. I will be forever in his debt. RIP Dimebag."

- ANTHRAX's Scott Ian: "After Eddie Van Halen, you had Dimebag Darrell. He was the next guy that came along and did something as original and important on guitar.

"He's the type of guy that would do anything for his friends. He really did put his family and his friends first, and for him everyone was his family. Once you came into contact with Dimebag and became friends with that guy, it was a sacred bond. Once you shared drinks with that guy, you became a part of his extended family."

- Hank Williams III (SUPERJOINT RITUAL): "It just ain't fuckin right... Alcohol should have killed Dime, not a fuckin piece of shit worthless fuck with a gun trying to recreate the John Lennon's killing... This happened on the same day, if you didnt know... Dime will never die EVER!!! His style of guitar playing took metal to a whole new chapter in metal history.

"For those of us that were lucky enough to be around Dime as a person... or see him jam in no matter what band it was, you know he liked to have a good time... In his honor, crank up his fuckin music and get motherfuckin wasted on whiskey!!!!!!!

"And no matter what was said with all the shit talking between SUPERJOINT RITUAL and DAMAGEPLAN, that's all it was, nothing but talk!! If we had ever been in the same room together as both bands, it would have been cool… Kinda like seeing 'ole family....

"I'm sure there will be plenty of new rumors surfacing.....And fingers pointing at people to blame... But Philip [Anselmo, ex-PANTERA] and the rest of SUPERJOINT RITUAL are in a state of shock and blown away by this tragedy! We do not take this shit lightly... What this kid did is so fucked up its not even conceivable. May you burn in the hottest corners of hell you pistol packin pussyfuck...

"R.I.P Dimebag. You rocked harder than you will ever know!!!!"

- LIFE OF AGONY: "Today is a sad day for music. LIFE OF AGONY are extremely distraught over last night's insane tragedy which took the life of DAMAGEPLAN's Dimebag Darrell. The band's hearts go out to the Abbott family as well as the entire DAMAGEPLAN camp. Dime, you will never be forgotten. We are all just speechless over here."

- HATEBREED: "Right now, we like so many are in complete disbelief and shock at the horrific murder of our friend, hero and brother Dimebag Darrell.

"Our deepest and most sincere condolences to Rita, Vinnie and all of his bandmates, family and friends. May our love and prayers be with you in this horrible time.

"Dime was one of the most amazing, generous, talented, funny, charismatic and caring people we have ever met. Some of the greatest times of our lives were spent with him and we will never forget his zest for life and generosity. Thank you, Dime. The world will never be the same without you. Your contributions to music and to all of our lives are invaluable and will never be forgotten. We love you bro.

"Today we mourn with all of the PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN fans around the world but tonight we are gonna play our asses off like Dime would have wanted us to!"

- SKINLAB: "Today has got to be one of the darkest days ever. To wake up and realize the news we all recieved yesterday was real. I can hardly believe it. Dime was a huge inspiration on us all in SKINLAB not only as an awesome person, but as a guy who was always there for his fans 100%. He will be extremely missed. Our deepest condolences to all of DAMAGEPLAN and the families of everyone who has been affected by this tragedy. R.I.P., brother ... See you on the other side!"

- OPETH: "The members of OPETH want to express their shock and sorrow in light of the recent tragic death of PANTERA / DAMAGEPLAN guitarist Dimebag Darrell. Condolences goes out to his family and especially his brother Vinne Paul who we hear is wounded but alive. We hope for a swift recovery. Things like this should not happen!"

- MINISTRY: "MINISTRY would like to like extend our deepest condolences to Darrell's friends and family and the friends and families of others who were killed or injured last night.

"Several members of MINISTRY were very close with Darrell and we are deeply saddened by the loss of this great artist."

- Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD): "Dime's music was a huge influence on me personally and on LAMB OF GOD as a whole. As a guitar player he was a true inovator. His sound tone and style shapped modern metal and his riffs are constantly referenced by nearly every band in metal including my own. Only recently did I have the pleasure of hanging out with him on a personal level and he was as genuine and down to earth as anyone you would ever meet. This is a huge loss to the music world."

- Trevor Peres (OBITUARY): "I can't believe that this happened to Darrell. One could never imagine something like this happening at a metal concert. Out of all of the 'rock stars' that I know, he is the last person that deserved that. What a great guitarist and what a 'ham' he was. I am completely devastated. I am at loss of words."

- Bobby Gustafson: (ex-OVERKILL, RESPONSE NEGATIVE): "I've sat here for a full day sulking in the total disbelief of the loss of my dear friend Darrell. Wondering if my words would be as pertinent as some of the musicians who've been in the spotlight far more than myself. But Darrell has touched me just as strongly as my peers, and I'm sure of that. His unconditional friendship and his zest for life and laughter was unsurpassed by anyone. His talent and gift of guitar playing speaks for itself. One of my proudest moments as a musician came from him, when he told me he used my guitar tone from 'Years of Decay' as the basis for 'Cowboys from Hell'. I will never forget when we sat there drunk as hell with a 4 track in Springfield, Mass. coming up with our own lyrics to ICE T's 'There Goes the Neighborhood', or when they as a band tried to hijack me from N.Y.to Virginia Beach on the tour bus in yet another drunken fiasco, or catching the beer he tossed to me in 'Vulgar Videos'. I will miss you as a person and a phenomenal guitar player. My tears are shed for you, Vinnie, and the rest of the Abbott family. C-Ya on the other side."

- Doug Sabolick (A LIFE ONCE LOST): "A sad fucking day for sure, some miserable 20 something fuck killed a legend. A man who inspired so many to rip and thrash.

"PANTERA was and still is my favorite group and Dimebag was the one who inspired me the pick up the axe , the bottle and the joint and just fucking RIP! I remember being 13 years old and just blasting 'Far Beyond Driven' all day long. Darrell was who I looked up to, someone who did things on his own terms and still succeeded!

"To the dumb fuck who did this I hope you rot in hell you miserable scumbag!"

- Bobby C. (A LIFE ONCE LOST): "Not only was Dime progressive musician, his image and style of playing changed the face of metal to this day…Light one up in his memory."

- Phil Labonte (ALL THAT REMAINS): "I don't know what to say the whole band is shocked our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone!"

- Cory Brandon (NORMA JEAN): "I think it's insane and scary and most of all sad that this had to happen. How lame. Hearing about this sort of stuff pretty much pisses me off! Metal will miss that dude for sure. I liked him. RIP 'cowboy from hell.'"

- Dan Jacobs (ATREYU): "It's a sad day when being such a good guitar player can get you killed. Metal will never be the same."

- Keith Buckley (EVERY TIME I DIE): " There are alot of counterfactuals involved in senseless deaths like that of Dimebag's. What if it had been one of our shows? What if there are more people than we know capable of such atrocities? What if it had been me? But these 'what-ifs' only come about after a period of reflection. The more sincere questions are the most immediate. Mine was this: 'Why did PANTERA break up in the first place?'"

- Trevor (UNEARTH): "This is a sad day for heavy metal, rock 'n' roll and for all his family, friends and legion of fans around the world.

"Dimebag Darrell was one of the nicest and most genuine human beings all of us in UNEARTH have ever met. His presence, music and most of all his friendship will be dearly missed. Dime loved life, cared about people and was a true rock icon. Everything about him was admirable.

"Our thoughts and hearts go out to his family and friends."

- Ed Conroy (FULL BLOWN CHAOS): "That's a idol and a legend gone for no reason. There is no reason for something like this to happen and it’s frightening to think if this could happen in the future if, say, some crazed fan jumps on stage and does something like that at a FULL BLOWN show. With Darrell, man, it’s just a waste of talent. People all over are just bummed out about it. Whether he was a friend or not, his influence can be heard all around music now."

- MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine: "There is nothing unique or clever to this post, and what I want to say has no doubt already been said throughout the metal community, by countless others whom were more closer to Darrell than me by now.

"However, knowing he was murdered tonight, I wish to thank and remember Darrell for his amazing life and the gift that he shared with me and so many other fortunates.

"I pray for Darrell's family and friends; specifically for their healing, their peace, and their understanding of this tragedy in this time of need.

"I send my deepest heartfelt condolences to the Abbott family, to Darrell's friends, and to the fantastic PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN fans around the world.

"We must never forget his life, and his gifts, his genius, his terrific personallity, and the legacy he left behind to remember him by.

"Darrell, I will see you in heaven and I, like so many more, love you brother.

"You will be missed."

- Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH): "Hey, wanted to say that Dime was a great guy and amazing guitarist! He will really be missed! He made me laugh when he would see me backstage and sing out 'Ripper' in a high note with some melody he had made up! He and his brother always gave me respect. I knew how much of a fan he was of JUDAS PRIEST and Rob [Halford], so the respect meant a lot! And all the rumors about him and I working together where the best rumors I'd ever heard about me! I always wanted to work with Darrell and was always waiting for that phone call! Dimebag, we love ya bro and you will be missed!"

- CHIMAIRA's Mark Hunter: "Dime's music gave me so much to live for when I was younger, and he truly changed the face of metal with his unique style of guitar playing. There isn't a metal band I know that hasn't borrowed a riff or three from him."

- Brandan Schiepatti (BLEEDING THROUGH, EIGHTEEN VISIONS, THROWDOWN): "I can truly say that Dimebag wrote the most influential and important riffs to any project I have done or will do musically. PANTERA songs have transcended time and genre and will go down someday to be as legendary as bands like SABBATH have become. Even though he was godlike on stage, when BLEEDING THROUGH met him in Dallas, he was so nice and down to earth to us, we loved him even more. I remember seeing PANTERA with SEPULTURA when I was twelve and it was the first time music was such a force that it crushed everyone's face like they were in a jet doing mach 3. I picked up a guitar immediately after."

- Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (ex-ROB ZOMBIE/OZZY OSBOURNE): "I'm speechless. This is totally unreal. Dimebag is a fucking legend and this is total bullshit."

- KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Howard Jones: "This is insane and this is beyond travesty. This is beyond anything I've ever heard. This shouldn't happen in or outside of the rock and metal community. He will be missed and mourned as a person, as a musician, and as a friend."

- MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx offered the following: "Dime, I will never forget all the times you made us laugh. I'm so happy we got to spend the day together in London recently… We should all live our lives as full as you have. I will miss you, as will all of us... This is a sad day."

- Rich Ward (FOZZY, STUCK MOJO): "Darrell was as nice as they come. During the times that I spent with him, I wondered why he played in such a heavy band. Not that he didn't have the ability to school all of us that dared to share a stage with him, but because he seemed like such a gentle and kind man. He had a great sense of humor and was someone that everyone in the room gravitated toward. He never carried himself like the big rock star that he really was, instead he came across humble and appreciative. I consider it a privilege to have known him, as he was one of the 'real' guys in the business and as Zakk [Wylde] would say, 'one of the boys'!"

- Shaun Glass (SOIL): "Today I am saddened to say I lost my friend and hero it sickens me that someone would take away a person that brought so much joy to so many people. Love ya, Double D."

-SEPULTURA: "Dimebag was an excellent musician and a good friend, a fucking great partner in memorable tours. We'll miss him very much. Our condolences to the Abbott family."

- MACHINE HEAD: "MACHINE HEAD are devastated by the horrific news. Our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Abbott family, DAMAGEPLAN and former members of PANTERA. Our thoughts are with you all."

- Jon Dette (ex-SLAYER, TESTAMENT): "My brother just called to tell me that Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage tonight. Words cannot express the sadness I'm feeling right now and my condolences go out to Vinnie Paul and the Abbott family for their loss. This is a huge tragedy for the music world."

- Orange County, California-based sextet BLEED THE SKY (recently signed to Nuclear Blast Records): "It's a sad day in heavy metal, Dimebag Darrell formerly of PANTERA, was shot and killed while performing with DAMAGEPLAN in Ohio. We would more than likely not be a band if it wasn't for him, and can't possibly imagine the pain that his brother and his family must be in. RIP, brother, heavy music will never be the same without you."

- TRIVIUM's Matt Heafy: "There's nothing that hasn't already been said or felt about this recent tragedy regarding Dimebag Darrell. All I can say is that Dimebag was one of the most influential musicians in our time. Legends aren't something we can pick and choose and they aren't here in vast numbers — Dime was a man who helped inspire countless numbers of players, fans, and people in general, a legend who really made the world seem that much better. Everyone I know who has met Dime says he was really nothing short of one of the nicest people they'd ever met, that he was a humble fun-loving metal head. But now Dimebag Darrell: a son, a brother, an idol, a musician, a fellow man... has been taken from us. It's a terrifying feeling that now at concerts, our very release from the everyday world we each seek out to escape from, our heroes are being murdered. My heart goes out to the Abbott family: Dimebag Darrell Abbott was a man of legendary and heroic status, but before all that Darrell was and always will be a brother and a son; we all mourn today."

- QUIET RIOT's Frankie Banali: "This is so wrong. Darrel was one of the nicest people in music and a great guitarist. He was always great to me each time we saw each other, as was Vinnie. Such a waste and so disturbing. My thoughts and prayers are with Darrel and my sincerest sympathy to Darrel's family, loved ones and all of his fans and the fans of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN. No one deserves a violent death, and certainly not Darrel. God bless him."

Source:blabbermouth.net