As the three year anniversary of Dimebag Darrell's death approaches, his long time girlfriend Rita was recently interviewed by metal riot grrrl mag, Metal Monthly and she had some choice works to say about Phil Anselmo, the former frontman of PANTERA:
Metal Monthly: Your thoughts on Phil [Anselmo, ex-PANTERA singer]. Is he a part of the problem or part of the solution?
Rita: [Laughs] He's not our problem anymore. But seriously, I think people have the right to choose what they like or dislike. My issues with Anselmo are my own and they shouldn't have to be anyone else's. If I asked people to choose, then I wouldn't be any better than him. He has been the king of lies and manipulation in our camp for a long time. I know now that that started with the heroin use, but he can never go back to being the person he once was, and when he was that person — man, he was on! A great frontman, and I would never try and say different. But I just don't believe, or believe in him, anymore… I can't! When that Metal Hammer interview came out with Philip saying Dimebag Darrell needs to be beaten severely… and no matter how he tries to explain that one away, he said it. Plus a few other things. Metal Hammer sent the audios of his interview to VinniePaul, Dimebag's brother and former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer] and yes! That's Phil Anselmo's voice. I heard it myself. But after it was posted on Blabbermouth, Dime asked me — and I could hear the lump in his throat — "What did I ever do to him?" And you know, I had to fight the lump in my own throat, I hated seeing him hurt, and he asked me again, "What did I ever do to him?" And I told him, "Nothin', baby. All you ever did was love him in his heart you are the one person on this earth that he truly respects and he can't face you… so in his drug-induced mind he's made you his enemy… for no reason at all… all because he's a junkie and you're not, which makes you not part of his world." And ya know, he said, "Maybe you're right, but I can't do this anymore." I know the last thing Dime told me that day about him was he was done! He would never stand on stage with him again! Philip had humiliated and embarrassed him for the last time! Dime told me then, "I'm writing him off. No longer will he trample through my peaceful mind!" And when that tour bus came home and there was no one to get off of it… that was one of the hardest things I had to do was go on there and pack up his bunk, but while I was doing it I found a two-page letter that Dime had wrote to Philip and in his own handwriting. It says what he had told me that day and a few other things about Mr. Anselmo, so in my heart I just can't believe in him anymore… It's tired. When Dime forgives him then I will… I have to stand by Dime and his brother; it's what I know is right.
Ouch! Some pretty harsh words in there. Doesn't look like Phil will be getting a Christmas card from the Abbotts any time soon. On a more positive note, she also talked about Dime being buried with an original Eddie Van Halen guitar:
Metal Monthly: Many people do not know that Eddie Van Halen buried one of his guitars with Darrell. This is true, right? And like 20 bottles of Crown Royal?
Rita: [Laughs] There's a few bottles of 7 up in there too! My boy loooves Seagram's! But yeah, Vinnie and I were trying to figure out which guitar, and about that time Ed called… he asked me on the phone if there was anything he could do, and I said, "Yes, as a matter of fact there is… Can you stripe him a yellow-and-black guitar?" He said, "Are you sure you don't want the red-black-and-white?" I said, "No… Dime told me the yellow-and-black is the shit! It's the toughest lookin'!" He always thought that. We had just seen VAN HALEN in Midland, TX a few weeks earlier and that was the first time Dime ever got to meet Eddie Van Halen. They hung out before and after the show. Dime even got to play on his rig at soundcheck. He was like a kid in a candy store… the way his eyes were lit up. He told me later in the limo — which Van Halen provided — "How cool is that?" Anyway he leaned over and looked me right in the eyes and said, "If I died tonight, it wouldn't matter, 'cause I've done everything now, I've met Eddie Van Halen!" and he had the biggest smile on his face… he was so happy! But, shit, I strayed! I'm the world's worst about telling 10 stories at once! [Laughs] Back to Ed… He said, "OK," that he would be down in a couple of days. When Ed came in at the viewing, he had the guitar, but it wasn't the guitar we expected… he told Vinnie and I that "Dime was an original and only an original deserves the original!" He popped open the case and there it was… his original '79 still with the rusted set of strings on it! It was so amazing!!! I took it in to Dime and I said, "See, baby, you didn't get a replica! You got THE one," and I gave him a kiss on the forehead and place it in there with him… Ed was awesome and I thank him still!
