10 Amazing Bands Who Lost Members At The Height Of Their Potential

7. Damageplan (Dimebag Darrell)

A thoughtless act of psychopathic insanity cost the metal world one of its most adored figures on December 8, 2004, exactly 24 years from the murder of John Lennon. Former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was on stage playing with his new band Damageplan, in Columbus, Ohio. Gunman Nathan Gale shot Dimebag - born Darrell Abbott - three times, killing him. The gunman killed three others before a police officer managed to score a clean shot, killing him instantly. No one knows the killer€™s motivation for sure, but so beloved was Dimebag that fans in attendance reportedly tried desperately to resuscitate the shred master. Damageplan had only put out one album before the tragedy transpired. Dime had already conquered the metal world once with Pantera, and like that pioneering band, Damageplan featured Dimebag€™s brother Vinnie Paul on drums - who watched from behind the set in horror as the horrible events unfolded on that night. Pantera was a band fraught with personality differences; despite its hard exterior, the Abbott brothers were good ol€™ boys from Texas who just wanted to play music and party, and Damageplan was their chance to move on from their tumultuous time with frontman Phil Anselmo. With Dimebag€™s death, Damageplan was dismantled and the world will never hear again from that inexhaustible supply of groovy, metallic riffs.