“In 1994, we had the first record by a true heavy metal band to ever hit the Billboard top No. 1 slot. We paved the way. And we always waved the heavy metal flag.”

American musician

Vinnie Paul was an American musician, 1964 to 2018, best known as the drummer of the heavy metal band Pantera. He co-founded the band with his younger brother, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, and later helped form Damageplan and joined Hellyeah. Pantera became one of the most influential metal bands in history, and Abbott's playing helped define its sound. He is also widely ranked among the greatest metal drummers, with a career that moved from Pantera to Damageplan in 2003 and then to Hellyeah from 2006 until his death.