Vincent Paul Abbott, or Vinnie Paul as he was better known in the rock and metal world, died late Friday (June 22) at the age of 54. The musician was an iconic figure, founding Pantera with his brother, the late guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott, and continuing to build his legacy after Pantera's split with both Damageplan and Hellyeah.

After a trio of under the radar albums featuring Terry Glaze on vocals, Pantera's ascent began to take place with Philip Anselmo joining the group for 1988's Power Metal album. In all, Pantera would release nine studio albums as well as the Official Live: 101 Proof concert set, cementing their status as one of the most influential acts in metal.

Upon their split, Paul and Dime would go on to form Damageplan, who released 2004's New Found Power album, but the group was short-lived as Dime was killed when a gunman rushed the stage and opened fire at a 2004 show in Columbus, Ohio.

In 2006, Paul released the Rebel Meets Rebel album, a collaboration between the Abbott brothers, Pantera's Rex Brown and country singer David Allan Coe, which they'd recorded over a series of sessions over a couple of years. And then Paul returned to making new music, after being invited to join the supergroup Hellyeah. The band's lineup changed over the years, but Paul was a constant from their self-titled 2007 debut to their fifth studio album, 2016's Unden!able.

With the death of Vinnie Paul, Loudwire is taking a look back at the musician both on and offstage through a photo gallery of shots from our own photographers, official band photos and other respected photographers in the industry. Check out the gallery below.

Vinnie Paul in Pictures

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