Charlie Benante Shares Video of Last Time He Saw Dimebag Darrell

Pantera celebration drummer Charlie Benante has posted footage online of the last time that he ever saw late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell. The footage was posted as we just passed the 20th anniversary of Dimebag's death on Dec. 8.

Benante, who regularly plays with Anthrax, was a longtime friend of the Abbott brothers - Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell. And when the idea of the Pantera celebration tour came up, the drummer was atop the list to sit behind the kit honoring his longtime friends.

Honoring a Friendship

The video footage that Benante shared showed their friendship in a wordless manner. The drummer was playing an all-star jam session at the House of Blues sitting behind the drums for a cover of Skid Row's "I Remember You" when Dimebag Darrell walked out onstage behind him, put his hands upon his shoulders and eventually gave him a hug mid-song.

"Well… this was the last time I saw @dimebagdarrell , he was gone a few days later.I think the ironic thing is the song that we were playing. This night was so memorable and we had so much fun. I miss you man and I know you know this!! I remember feeling it the next day but it was worth it," recalled Benante in the caption alongside the video that he shared.

Past Tributes + Benante Recollections of Dimebag Darrell

Dimebag Darrell tragically died onstage, when gunman Nathan Gale entered the Alrosa Villa concert venue in Columbus, Ohio and shot the guitarist multiple times during Damageplan's performance.

In 2022, Benante was among those recognizing the 18th anniversary of Darrell's death, sharing a photo of himself playing guitar alongside Darrell at a show with the caption, "Remembering @dimebagdarrell today and every day."

Benante has revealed that he has special keepsakes from Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul that he makes sure are present at each show he plays on the Pantera celebration tour.

At Benante’s first concert with Pantera, producer Sterling Winfield, who worked with the band on several albums, presented the drummer with a pair of items.

“Sterling came to the show and he brought me two things: He brought me a pair of Vinnie’s gloves," Benante recalled during an appearance on the Vinyl Guide podcast. "Used gloves. It even had blood on it from Vinnie, from his blisters and beat-up hands. And he brought me Darrell’s headband.”

“I put Vinnie’s glove in my pocket and I put Darrell’s headband around my leg,” the drummer explained. It’s a ritual he’s kept up ever since.

“Every night I play with those,” Benante continued. “It’s like baseball players wearing the same thing. Maybe it’s a bit of a superstition. But for me, it’s something I do for every show, just to have them there.”

Earlier this year, Benante also recalled Dimebag Darrell's favorite guitar solo. While taking part in a Drumeo session, Benante revealed, "We introduced a new song to the set called 'Floods,' which is off their Trendkill record. It was Darrell's favorite guitar solo that he did in the history of Pantera."