We are still stunned to hear about the sudden death of legendary drummer Vinnie Paul (Vincent Paul Abbott). While many of us are questioning the why and how this happened, it goes without saying this is one tragic loss. The cause of his death has not been released. However, what we do know is, his kindness and gifted talent will remain timeless as his friends and bandmates from across the rock and metal community have shared their thoughts about him on social media.

Read a few reactions below:

 

GOD BLESS VINNIE PAUL – 1964-2O18 – FATHER VINNIE,Your Compassion for others & Your Love for seeing everyone around you Happy I will never forget – Your Heart of Gold Made The World a Better Place – Go be w/Your BELOVED BROTHER – I LOVE YOU – tBLSt SDMF pic.twitter.com/8VC3T3hQa2

— Zakk Wylde (@ZakkWyldeBLS) June 23, 2018

 

Terribly saddened by the news of Vinnie Paul’s passing. Vinnie was a beloved fixture in the rock and metal communities and we will miss seeing him out on the road. His impact on heavy music is immeasurable. Rest In Peace Vinnie, condolences to your family, friends and fans.

— Alice Cooper (@alicecooper) June 23, 2018

 

We are deeply saddened to hear that our dear friend and brother, Vinnie Paul has passed away. Rest in Peace Vinnie, you will truly be missed and forever remembered. @Pantera @hellyeahband #VinniePaul pic.twitter.com/1y6r0mBRy5

— Megadeth (@Megadeth) June 23, 2018

 

Rock in peace Vinnie Paul
Say hi to brother Dime from all of us
We love you . Wish you were still here. Gone too soon man . Thanks for the music. And more importantly 30 years of non stop friendship. How rare is that In this business? I’m really gonna miss you 💕 pic.twitter.com/LUY41pzC0l

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) June 23, 2018

 

Tragic news about Vinnie Paul today. He was one of the warmest people I knew. A truly good & fun friend. We’re going to miss you more than you could possibly have known. RIP buddy. https://t.co/yQqruY4tio

— Slash (@Slash) June 23, 2018

 

Sad 2 hear of Vinnie Paul of #Pantera passing…great guy…RIP

— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) June 23, 2018

 

I just woke up in Belgium to the news that my friend Vinnie Paul has passed away. Another metal hero taken too soon. Say hello to Daryl for me. Rest In Peace, my dear friend. @Pantera @hellyeahband #vinniepaul

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) June 23, 2018

 

Our deepest condolences go out to the friends, fans, family, and loved ones of our friend, Vinnie Paul.

Our hearts are broken.https://t.co/bXlFrHFe38

— Disturbed (@Disturbed) June 23, 2018

 

Sad to hear about my friend Vinnie Paul’s passing. One of the true great ones. He’ll truly be missed. RIP Brother.

— Vince Neil (@thevinceneil) June 23, 2018

 

Bummed to wake up to the news about Vinnie Paul. One of the greatest to ever play. Black Tooth Grins tonight in memoriam. 🤘🏻

— Corey Graves (@WWEGraves) June 23, 2018

 

 

R.I.P To our brother Vinnie Paul. You will be missed. Damn it. All our love. Repost By vinniepaul3

A post shared by Anthrax (@anthrax) on Jun 22, 2018 at 9:50pm PDT

 

Rest easy Vinnie Paul. pic.twitter.com/rEa5MJUXux

— Buckcherry (@Buckcherry) June 23, 2018

 

RIP Vinnie Paul. Friend. Humorist. Badass drummer. All-around good man. Condolences to the family. You will be missed bro…

— Duff McKagan (@DuffMcKagan) June 23, 2018

 

Remembering our friend Vinnie Paul today. A good man gone way too soon. https://t.co/EhvMRYSpzk

— Alice in Chains (@AliceInChains) June 23, 2018

 

What can I say. An amazing drummer and a amazing, wonderful guy. R.I.P Vinnie Paul – Jon Larsen @ Graspop Metal Meeting https://t.co/revgH0nr3l

— Volbeat (@VOLBEAT) June 23, 2018

 

Fuck man. Just waking up to the news. Another one of our friends In Rock gone way to soon. Respect and love to his close friends and family. Such a Sweetheart.
Rip Vinnie Paul.

— Mina Caputo (@MinaCaputo) June 23, 2018

 

Absolutely devastated to hear of the passing of our friend Vinnie Paul. We just saw him last week at our show in Vegas. One of the nicest and kindest guys you could have ever met. RIP friend. https://t.co/qrkd7rp30u

— Nonpoint (@nonpoint) June 23, 2018

 

Vinnie Paul. Thank you for all the laughs, riffs and good times brother. You were ALWAYS one of the good guys!! #RIP

— Steel Panther (@Steel_Panther) June 23, 2018

Vinnie, you will be missed. R.I.P #vinniepaul #rip #wewillmissyoubrother pic.twitter.com/P8AuZG04jH

— John 5 (@john5guitarist) June 23, 2018

We are deeply saddened to hear about the loss of our dear friend, Vinnie Paul. A legendary drummer and a staple in the music industry, VP will be greatly missed by many. Heaven just got a little louder with two metal icons & brothers jamming together again. #RIP pic.twitter.com/ruZbUwbGuN

— Dean Guitars (@DeanGuitars) June 23, 2018

RIP to an absolute legend. Vinnie Paul, you will be missed. pic.twitter.com/nLQuTP5y5N

— Eleven Seven Music (@Eleven7Music) June 23, 2018

Such devastating news. RIP Vinnie @Pantera @hellyeahband https://t.co/EqDHVrgRBt

— OVERKILL (@OverkillBand) June 23, 2018

Vinnie Paul: one of our biggest influences, gone way to soon. We’re thankful to have toured with him and Pantera on Ozzfest 2000. He and Dime were nothing but kind to us. His contributions to heavy music are undeniable. Our prayers go out to the Abbot family. Cheers, cowboy. pic.twitter.com/yMJgjozemF

— TAPROOT (@FollowTaproot) June 23, 2018

I cannot believe it !! My good friend Vinny Paul dead. So sad. He was such a good guy. Fun sad a great drummer !I am bummed. RIP my friend my Prays go out to his family. 🙏🙏😪

— Carmine Appice (@carmineappice1) June 23, 2018

 

Very sad news this evening. This man always treated me & the guys in my band like family, from the very first time we ever met him with his brother at a Damageplan gig in Texas– whether backstage at a show, on his crazy tour bus, at his club, at his house, he was always a gracious host to us. He just wanted people around him to be happy. I didn’t see Vinnie much the last time we played a gig together because I heard he was in a very foul mood– this was highly unusual for him. Why was he in a foul mood? Because we were playing a big festival in Chicago, he had bought a TON OF FOOD to grill in the parking lot for everyone (as usual), & the fire marshall came and shut him down before he could start the bar-b-que. That’s the type of dude he was– he just wanted to make sure people were having a good time, & he took steps to make that happen. He also did me a very solid favor when I was in some very serious legal trouble a while back by writing a detailed letter to a judge explaining what had happened to his brother & the need for good stage security– that wasn’t an easy thing for him to do, but he did it anyway because he was a true friend and knew I needed some help– I’ll never forget that, & I made sure he knew I appreciated it. He also never minded when I got in his face with my camera– I took this photo with a 50mm fixed lens at a festival we were playing with Hellyeah in Iowa in 2016– that means I was basically inside his drum kit. When he saw me poking my head in there, he just turned, flashed me this grin, & kept on rocking. I love this photo– Big Vin smiling and doing what he did best. Rest In Peace, Vinnie Paul. You’ll be missed. BIG LOVE.

A post shared by D. Randall Blythe (@drandallblythe) on Jun 22, 2018 at 11:13pm PDT

 

Vince. Love you man. RIP #vinniepaulabbott

A post shared by Corey Taylor (@coreytaylor) on Jun 23, 2018 at 3:44am PDT

Like his brother, he spent his energy sharing his talent with us and bringing heavy music to people all over the world. His unique presence will be sorely missed down here. https://t.co/ZknPIrj2io

— Marty Friedman (@marty_friedman) June 23, 2018

This sucks RIP Vinny Paul condolences to your family and friends

— Ross The Boss (@officialrtb) June 23, 2018

Vinnie – You will be missed! You were an amazing human being & we had many great times together. A toast to you my friend, my prayers are with you! 🤘🏻#VinniePaul pic.twitter.com/RIFpneSY9N

— Bret Michaels (@bretmichaels) June 23, 2018

 

So sad to hear of the death of Vinnie Paul. Loved when Pantera did shows with us and in later years Vinnie was always front and center at all KISS shows. RIP and condolences to his family. https://t.co/DaQREBNVW7

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) June 23, 2018

 

Damn it. I love you brother. RIP Vinnie Paul.

A post shared by Scott Ian (@scottianthrax) on Jun 22, 2018 at 9:21pm PDT

Jam Pantera right now. RIP Vinnie Paul.

— The Sword (@TheSword) June 23, 2018

My God, we have lost another friend. I don’t understand what is happening. The music world has been completely shaken by too many pre-mature deaths the last few years, its… https://t.co/JxcdWOVR9x

— Brian Welch (@brianheadwelch) June 23, 2018

I’m sad. One of many hammered nights I spent with this man… stunned. 😥
R.I.P. V.P. pic.twitter.com/ks6uxfbjID

— Robb Flynn (@TheGeneralMH) June 23, 2018

Very saddened to wake up in Belgium today to the news of Vinnie Paul’s passing. You were a good friend and left us an amazing legacy. Go home in peace…. #ripvinniepaul hellyeahofficial… https://t.co/Wwn5VQqzbr

— David Ellefson (@ellefsondavid) June 23, 2018

Absolutely stunned to hear the unbelievable news that Vinnie Paul @Pantera has died… I knew Vinnie well. Did my shows many times. A great drummer and music fan and always a blast to hang with. Beyond tragic. Can’t believe it. #RIPVinniePaul .

— Eddie Trunk (@EddieTrunk) June 23, 2018

I am loss for words… thank you for everything, the music and the laughs, you always made me and the guys feel special. Heartbroken. Rest in peace and give a hug to Dime and Peter for… https://t.co/DbpyPvceyf

— Cristina Scabbia (@MissScabbia) June 23, 2018

My heart… pic.twitter.com/djZT5MMKYS

— Charlie Benante (@skisum) June 23, 2018

Man this really sucks! I was fortunate to hang with Vinnie and Dime many times over the years, such great guys. I hope they are jamming again right now. #ripvinniepaul https://t.co/QkmtNfrpJg

— Brian Slagel (@brianslagel) June 23, 2018

Vinnie… I told you 100 times I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing had you not changed the world. I was fortunate enough to get to know you as a man and as a true friend.

You made me feel good about me. You… https://t.co/Qe8CYdPCnx

— Chris Adler (@ChrisAdlerMusic) June 23, 2018

R.I.P. Vinnie Paul Abbot

— Dino Cazares (@DinoCazares) June 23, 2018

Vinnie was here the first time Phil and I stepped on stage together after 12 years . He loved and supported everyone he could . His phrase was “ Big Love “ and that’s how he lived his life… https://t.co/ZSRCyTQK1C

— Tracii Guns (@traciiguns) June 23, 2018

#RIPVinniePaul https://t.co/dgNJTK6O4x

— BABYMETAL (@BABYMETAL_JAPAN) June 23, 2018

Rest in peace, Vinnie. Our prayers and good wishes go to his family, friends and fans. https://t.co/iXQ4Hum9lT

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) June 23, 2018

Shocked and saddened to hear of Vinnie Paul’s passing. A true original. Had some good laughs when we toured with @Pantera. Gone too soon. pic.twitter.com/adiO8B16jf

— Geezer Butler (@GZRMusic) June 23, 2018

R.i.p Vinnie Paul. 🙁 I found him soft spoken… peace brother.

— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) June 23, 2018

“GDE” is the soundtrack of our times. It’s our most powerful music and message to date. 34 years and counting, let’s make 2018 the best. Reserve your copy now at @Amazon – https://t.co/Ps4Tgjw2AL

— MichaelSweet Stryper (@michaelhsweet) March 23, 2018

This is so sad-I’ll miss u Vinnie.. R.I.P. brother… #RipVinniePaul https://t.co/2IRTvGEkSb

— FrankBello (@TheFrankBello) June 23, 2018

Vinnie Paul Has Passed Away..I’m completely devastated! He was a Real Brother! & True Friend! RIP my Brother Vinnie..God knows me and all of us are gonna truly miss ya! Mt🙏😪

— BulletBoys (@TheBulletBoys) June 23, 2018

R.I.P. Vinnie Paul….
Always had a great time with you buddy!! Now you can jam with Dime again….

— John Corabi (@Crablegs59) June 23, 2018

 

Super sad to learn of the passing of my pal vinniepaul3 #pantera #damageplan – Say hello to your brother, man! #RIP https://t.co/suq7UANbOQ

— Dave Navarro (@DaveNavarro) June 23, 2018

Super sad news. Great guy/Great drummer. No idea what happened. Like his bro, gifted & too young to go. May they jam in eternity #RIPVinniePaul https://t.co/Y2XRmXScXg

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) June 23, 2018

Another gone too soon, I have no words… RIP Vinnie, say hi to Darrell and don’t worry, you don’t need to audition for that all star band in the sky 🙁 pic.twitter.com/VrHRhO4vxp

— Jeff Scott Soto (@jeffscottsoto) June 23, 2018

 

Goodbye my friend, sad to see you go. @vinniepaul3

A post shared by David Vincent (@officialdavidvincent) on Jun 22, 2018 at 9:56pm PDT

Gutted to hear about the nicest guy in metal passing. Vinnie Paul showed us nothing but love. We’ll miss you Vinnie.

— Papa Roach (@paparoach) June 23, 2018