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Hereabouts: Author uses new angle on death of guitarist
Thursday, April 19, 2007
One morning in December 2004, Chris Armold left his West Alexandria home en route to his insurance office in Miamisburg. He turned on his car radio and heard the newscaster say, "Guitarist Darrell Abbott and three other people were murdered last evening at the Alrosa Villa Nightclub in Columbus."
It's a story that affected Armold from the start. "I've always been a rock 'n' roll guy," he said.
Extras
And while the media played up the death of one of heavy metal's premier guitarists, there wasn't much said about the other three.
Who were those others? Were they security guards or innocent bystanders?
The more Armold thought about it, the more he wanted to know the whole story.
With his book — A Vulgar Display of Power — Armold answers the questions. Released just this week by MJS Music Publications in Crystal River, Fla., Armold kicked the book off with a benefit book signing on April 13 at the Alrosa Villa.
"I put 14 months of hard work into it," Armold said. Digging out the entire story required 57 trips to Columbus and conducting interviews as far away as Arkansas, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
"I imagine I put five hours per day into it every day for 14 months," Armold said.
He'd operate his Allstate Insurance agency during the day and work on the book at his home from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.
A photographer as well as a writer and music aficionado, Armold documented the story detail by detail.
"I'm very confident that the sequence of events is as accurate as anything could be," he said.
Abbott's death was at the hands of a man suffering from a mental illness. Three innocent people — Jeffrey Thompson (Abbott's bodyguard), Nathan Bray (a fan) and Erin Halk (a professional roadie) all died trying to assist Abbott.
"This is not a heavy metal book," Armold said.
"I see this as mostly a modern day story of good versus evil."
He said he was intrigued by the "people that are willing to step up" even when they're putting their own lives in danger.
"These guys were truly overshadowed by Dimebag," Armold said. "Dimebag" is Abbott's stage name.
And while Armold said he's worked hard for more than a year, at least he was able to complete the book on his own schedule.
"I had the luxury of not having a deadline," he said.
Rather than dark and downbeat, he wanted the book to be inspiring.
"I realized I could be the biographer of these three guys," he said.
Columbus police Officer James Niggemeyer, whose shot ended the carnage at the nightclub, wrote the forward to the book.
The title, by the way, is taken from the title of a Pantera album — Vulgar Display of Power — from 1992. Dimebag played for the group.
Armold, 46, who lives with his wife, Connie, in West Alexandria, has written two previous books on combat helmets.
Details about the new book can be found on the Web at: www.avdop. Copies are available from Amazon.com and locally at Borders.
Contact this reporter at (937) 696-2080 or wschmidt@gemair.com.
