WEDNESDAY
John Lennon was to some, the leader of the Beatles. As guitarist and primary songwriter along with Paul McCartney, it was Lennon’s vision and drive that helped transform the young Liverpool skiffle band into the game-changing band that would become arguably the greatest pop band in history. Lennon was given his first guitar when he was 16, and within a year, he formed his first band, the Quarrymen. The following year he met McCartney at one of their shows and asked him to join the band based solely on his ability to tune a guitar and his knowledge of songs. They would soon become the Beatles with the addition of George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Over the next decade, the Beatles would change the face of popular music and would go on to be the biggest selling group in history. Following the break up of the Beatles in 1970, Lennon began releasing albums with his wife and sometime musical partner, Yoko Ono. Songs like "Imagine," "Cold Turkey," "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)," and "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" kept Lennon relevant during a time that saw many changes throughout America and beyond. In November of 1980, Lennon’s Double Fantasy was released to rave reviews and strong fan anticipation due to the fact that Lennon had been all but invisible raising his son Sean. His last albums was 1975′s Rock ‘n’ Roll, a collection of covers with no new compositions by Lennon. Before that, it was 1974′s Walls and Bridges. Just three weeks after the release of Double Fantasy, and while still enjoying the overwhelming response to the album, Lennon was walking outside of his New York City apartment building only to be senselessly shot and killed by deranged fan, Mark David Chapman. John Lennon was 40 years old when he was murdered, and the world was never the same.
"Dimebag Darrell" Abbott is best remembered as the founding guitarist for metal band, Pantera. Formed with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul in 1981, the band evolved from it’s early glam leanings into one of thrash metal’s most influential bands by the end of their run. In 1992, the band released what would become their breakthrough album, Cowboys From Hell, which is generally included in any legitimate survey of the greatest metal albums of all time. In 2003, the band broke up due to internal politics. The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan, whose debut album, New Found Power, debuted in the top 40 of the album charts and went on to sell modestly. While on a Damageplan tour in Ohio on December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darryl’s life came to a tragic end in an eerily similar to, yet much bloodier fashion than John Lennon’s murder on the same date in 1980. As Damageplan were performing at a Columbus club, an unknown and perhaps deranged fan pulled out a gun and fired five shots into Abbott, killing him instantly. The shooter wasn’t finished however, as be began firing multiple shots throughout the club, wounding others and killing a club employee, an audience member, and the band’s security guard, Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson. By the time the police arrived, the shooter had scuffled with others and was holding Damageplan’s wounded drum tech, John "Kat" Brooks hostage after he tried to overtake him. Fortunately for those left in the building, Officer John Niggemeyer fired one shot into the face of the heavily armed perpetrator as he had Brooks in a headlock. The shooter was killed instantly. If you get a chance tonight, tip back a glass of "Black Toother Grin" for our fallen hero! Thats a glass full of crown and a splash of Coke. Ill be having 2 tonight while listening to Cemetary Gates. RIP DIME!
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