Vinnie Paul to be buried in custom KISS casket, similar to that of brother Dimebag Darrell's
Pantera co-founder and drummer, the late Vinnie Paul will be buried in a custom KISS casket this Saturday (June 30) at in Arlington, Texas.
According to a report by TMZ, the custom casket features vinyls and illustrations of the band KISS, who were a huge inspiration to both Vinnie and his late brother Dimebag Darrell, who founded the Texas-based heavy metal outfit in 1981. Dimebag even had a tattoo of KISS guitarist Ace Frehley on his chest. According to the report, sources close to the family confirmed to TMZ that the casket was provided by none other than Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, one-half KISS. The casket was reportedly offered as a gift at Vinnie's family's request.
As die-hard Pantera fans would remember, Vinnie's brother and the band's lead guitarist, Dimebag Darrell, was also buried in a similar casket after his tragic and untimely death in 2004. The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words "Kiss Forever". Dimebag and Vinnie were performing on-stage in 2004 with their new band Damageplan when a fan rushed the stage and opened fire, shooting Darrell dead, while brother Vinnie was just a few feet away on-stage.
As we reported earlier, Vinnie Paul passed away in his sleep this past week, shocking the rock world. He was 54 years old and the cause of death has still not been made public information as yet. The drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers.
As TMZ points out, Vinnie Paul will also be buried in his iconic outfit, including his famous hat, his signature shoes and flannel shirt. Vinnie will be put into the ground Saturday at the same cemetery in Arlington, TX, where Darrell and his mom lie.
TMZ also confirms that a public memorial concert honoring Vinnie is going down Sunday at the Bomb Factory in Dallas at 3.33 CST. The time is a reference to "Dime Time", a number that was fondly associated with Dimebag Darrell.
