Pantera Share Touching Statement Honoring Abbott Brothers’ Late Father Jerry

Pantera's Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown have shared a joint statement, paying tribute to Jerry Abbott, who died last week and was the father of the band's late brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul.

Today (April 8) marks what would have been the elder Abbott's 81st birthday, which adds an additional layer of sentiment to Anselmo and Brown's words.

Abbott was heavily involved in Pantera's career early on. Not only did he act as their manager in the '80s, he produced the group's records during this period, which were tracked in his studio and released under his Metal Magic label.

Acknowledging his impact, the Pantera bandmates note Abbott's skills as a songwriters, engineer, producer and manager. "We can look back now and see that without him, we might not have ever made it out of Tejas [Texas]," they say, in part.

The two reflect on the "great times" they had with the mane they affectionately dubbed "LD," calling him "one of the good ones."

Read the full statement below.

Rest in Peace Jerry Abbott

Jerry was the father of Vince & Darrell & was a huge influence on us, in our formative years. He passed down an incredible legacy of his own. He was a great songwriter and a much sought after engineer & producer. He managed the band from ‘82-‘89 & taught us a lot. We can look back now & see that without him; we might not have ever made it out of Tejas. But we did...

Hearing the news of his passing, we immediately thought of all the great times we had with the “LD”, a nickname we gave him, and all the things that made him so very special!! This cannot be said enough, he was one of the good ones & will be missed!! He’s in a much better place now... God Bless.

- Rex Brown & Philip Anselmo ‘24

About Jerry Abbott

Born in Abilene, Texas on April 8, 1942, Abbott was attracted to music at a young age and played in local bands at clubs around his home state, eventually settling into working as a sound engineer at a studio.

READ MORE: Charlie Benante Has Vinnie + Dimebag Items at Every Pantera Show

He was married for 17 years, wedding Norma Carolyn Adkisson in 1962, divorcing in 1979. Together, the couple had the two aforementioned sons. Abbott outlived those three members of his family — Norma died of lung cancer in 1999, Dimebag was murdered onstage in 2004 at the age of 38 and Vinnie passed away at 54 in 2018.

In 2014, Abbott released the autobiography, Over My Left Shoulder: The Life and Times of Jerry Abbott.