England's Download Festival stage named after Dimebag Darrell Abbott

The widow of late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott told NME that she was thrilled to learn that the second stage of England's massive Download Festival was being renamed in honor of the fallen axeman, who was shot to death by a crazed fan in December of 2004. Rita Haney-Abbott said, "It's nice that everyone here remembers him...When I found out (about the stage), it really made me smile. It was a good thing to wake up to. There are a hell of a lot of bands who are influenced by Darrell. His musical legacy is massive."

Haney-Abbott was informed of the renaming by her husband's brother and bandmate, drummer Vinnie Paul. Festival organizers invited her to this year's event, which took place this past weekend, as a guest of honor.

This year's Download Festival featured performances by Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Velvet Revolver, Hinder, Korn, Buckcherry, Marilyn Manson, Hellyeah, 30 Seconds To Mars, Evanescence and dozens more, many of which were available for live viewing via webcast.
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