Former PANTERA Bassist Says Writing Memoir Was A 'Cathartic' Experience

March 15, 2013

Tim Louie of The Aquarian Weekly recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA/DOWN and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

The Aquarian Weekly: Was there some sort of catalyst to make you want to write a sort of tell-all book about PANTERA ["Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera"]?

Rex: I just wanted it to be in first person and to speak my truth. Ya know, I was sitting in the cheap seats just like the rest of the guys. Only four of us know what went on with that book, and as you get on through the book, you'll understand where it all will lead. If you just started reading the book, you're only scratching the surface.

The Aquarian Weekly: You mentioned how your life changed once you hit rock stardom. When was it that it really hit you that you were a certified rock star?

Rex: I don't know. You get money flying in front ways and back, and it was always not necessarily for the money, but just the critical acclaim of what you'd really worked your tail off for. It took us six years before we were even with a major label. We were turned down 28 times from different labels and stuff like that we couldn't get arrested. The point being that once you do start selling a lot of records and people recognize you and you've reached that point of… I wouldn't call it stardom because I'm not into the fame, I'm just into the jam.

The Aquarian Weekly: There was actually something funny that I read, where you mentioned that you, [late PANTERA guitarist] Dime ["Dimebag" Darrell Abbott] and [former PANTERA drummer and Dimebag's brother] Vinnie [Paul Abbott] got a strip club, and while you and Dime hung back, Vinnie would walk in with all of these bodyguards.

Rex: Yeah, well when you read the book, you will understand his persona and his way of going about things, and I'm not trying to hack Vinnie at all, I have a lot of empathy for him, but in the long run, the guy carries a lot of hatred with him that it's not right. Ya know? I understand about his brother, and well, he was my brother also, but I don't carry around this terrible vendetta against people.

The Aquarian Weekly: Did you find it therapeutic to write this book and to finally get a lot of shit off your chest?

Rex: Absolutely! It was cathartic, for sure. Reliving all of those memories and stuff like that, it really made me go back and think, "Fuck, man! I wish Dime were still on this planet because God knows what would've happened." Unfortunately, he's not. I always envisioned that we would somehow try to get back together, but it was not meant to be, I guess.

Read the entire interview from The Aquarian Weekly.

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).