Happy birthday to Nick Hexum!

 

Happy birthday to Nick Hexum of 311!  I wanted to write a blog post today and I had no idea what to write about.  Then I noticed 311's Facebook page had a video wishing Nick Hexum a happy birthday.  Well I want to wish a happy birthday here on my blog.  He is 51 years old today.  Have an awesome day, Nick Hexum!

Remembering Nick Hexum's birthday is not difficult, after all he says "my birthday happens to land on April 12th... whack" in the song "Welcome" off their first major label album Music.  If you're new to 311, check out this song first and then go from there!

Happy birthday Tony Iommi and Prince Markie Dee (R.I.P.)

 

First I'd like to wish Tony Iommi a happy birthday.  He is now 73 years old.  Of course, he's one of the most influential guitarists in the history of heavy metal.  For those who don't know, he's the founding guitarist of Black Sabbath.  He was also involved with other bands such as Velvett Fogg, WhoCares and Heaven & Hell.  He was even in Jethro Tull at one point.  His band Iommi is currently on hold and hopefully he continues that soon.  I hope he has an awesome day today!

I'd like to also wish Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales of The Fat Boys a happy birthday too.  Unfortunately, he didn't make it to his birthday today.  Not only is it sad that he died, but it's also sad that he died a day before his birthday.  He was 52, so today he would have been 53.   An unfortunate loss in the world of hip-hop/rap since he was part of a pioneering group of the genre.  I liked his approach to rap.  I didn't know him too well, but I did enjoy the music he recorded with The Fat Boys.  For more on him, check out this article by The A.V. Club.

Today Lemmy would have been 75 years old

 

Today Lemmy Kilmister would have been 75 years old.  Happy birthday God!  People still listen to your music to this day.  It's unfortunate that he died 4 days after his 70th birthday.  I remember my partner from the late 2000's saying Lemmy was going to be rocking in his 70's.  We thought he would live a long time.  If Lemmy never got ultra sick, he would be still alive today.

Happy belated birthday to Ron Paul, Dimebag Darrell and my longtime friend Suzanne McCaig!

Yesterday were three birthdays I missed.  Ron Paul's, Dimebag's and my friend Suzanne's.  Actually, I wished her a happy birthday on her Facebook page.  Suzanne is my oldest friend.  We have been friends for 29 years.  So happy birthday to them and anyone else who had a birthday on August 20.  I was going to write a long blog post on my friendship with Suzanne.  I decided not to and that might be a future blog entry.  Today I'll be focusing on the man pictured above.

Dimebag Darrell Abbott was the guitarist of Pantera.  He was also a guitarist in Damage Plan and Rebel Meets Rebel.  My first exposure to Pantera's music was in the late 1990s.  I went to a local mom and pop record store called Tapeville in Nanuet. NY.  I almost bought the live album and then some employee recommended Cowboys from Hell.  I bought that album instead and I enjoyed it.  The next album I got from Pantera was Reinventing the Steel.  Those were the only two Pantera albums I had for several years until I decided to check out the first four albums by Pantera.  They're highly superior to the 1990s albums, IMO.  I know it's a super unpopular opinion.  The only groove metal albums by Pantera I truly enjoy are Cowboys from Hell and Reinventing the Steel.  To me the rest are boring as shit.  My favorite Pantera album overall is I Am The Night.  That is one amazing album and it has Dimebag's best guitar work, IMO!

Pantera was highly unfair for letting us hang and not telling us fans anything between 2001-2004.  It was unclear if they were on hold, disbanded or whatever.  The status of the band was unknown.  Better yet, Pantera should have resumed with Terry Glaze since Phil Anselmo was too busy with Superjoint Ritual (who I loved at the time, now I'm not that into them these days).  There were shockingly plans for a Terry Glaze reunion in the works from what I read.  Unfortunately, tragedy struck on December 8, 2004 when Dimebag got shot to death on stage in Columbus, Ohio.  To be brutally honest, I was not affected by Dimebag's death, but I know a lot of fans perceived his death as the "9/11 of metal."  I wouldn't go that far with his death.  It was shitty that happened and there was no need for it to happen.  It could have been totally prevented too.

I have former friends that did disrespect Dimebag's death.  I even was with them and then as time went by... now I do not find humor in Dimebag's death.  Since I'm a better person, I feel his death was unwarranted and it was a major injustice on his part.  He should be still alive to this day.  Same with Vinnie Paul Abbott... I know he died of "dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease."  However, I know he was also heart broken when his beloved brother Darrell was killed.  I know he couldn't take it.  Those two brothers were close and they had bands together.

Well I guess that's that.  Dimebag's death is best documented elsewhere.  Happy belated to Dimebag Darrell Abbott!  R.I.P. Dimebag.