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Pantera Drummer Vinnie Paul’s Cause Of Death Was Reportedly A ‘Major Heart Attack,’ Per ‘Review-Journal’

By Lorenzo Tanos
Published on: 02:49 PST, Jun 25, 2018

Although there has been no official announcement confirming heavy metal drummer Vinnie Paul’s cause of death, a new report suggests that the Pantera co-founder might have suffered a “major” heart attack on Friday, leading to his untimely passing.

On Saturday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal updated its original report on the veteran drummer’s death to cite statements from unnamed sources, who told the publication late on Friday and on Saturday that Paul suffered a “major heart attack.” No further details were revealed by the sources, but the Review-Journal noted that Paul’s last public appearance came on the prior weekend, when he and members of his post-Pantera project, Hellyeah, were at Nine Inch Nails’ show at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel.

“This is such a shock because he was so excited about finishing up the album and getting back on the road. I’m still trying to piece this together,” Paul’s friend, Las Vegas musician Franky Perez, told the Review-Journal.

Prior to the Las Vegas Journal-Review report was updated, TMZ did the same to its original piece, and while the publication didn’t note Vinnie Paul’s official or rumored cause of death, the new update cited family members, who said that the drummer died in his sleep. This, however, was recently contested by Paul’s management, who issued a statement to Loudwire over the weekend after being asked to verify the TMZ report.

“We have no knowledge of who spoke with TMZ. Whoever spoke to them did so on their own and not based on any factual information or authorization from Vinnie’s family or Pantera management.”

Vinnie Paul’s death was first announced on Friday night on Pantera’s official Facebook page, and in the days since then, tributes have come in from many of his colleagues in the music industry, as well as fans who grew up with the iconic metal band’s music. Paul, who was born Vincent Paul Abbott in 1964, was preceded in death by his brother, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, who was only 38-years-old when a gunman killed him and three other people at a December 2004 show in Ohio with the band Damageplan, a project formed by the brothers in the aftermath of Pantera’s 2003 breakup.

As of Saturday, Vinnie Paul’s body was at the Las Vegas medical examiner’s office to determine his official cause of death. He will then be flown back to his home state of Texas, where he will be buried between his younger brother and their mother, Carolyn, who died in 1999, according to her Find A Grave page.

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