Legendary Pentagram Guitarist Dead at Age 51
RIP Vincent McAllister (1955 - 2006)
It is with great sadness that we have to report the passing of Vincent McAllister, original PENTAGRAM member and guitarist with the classic 70s line-up. While not a member of BEDEMON, the lines between the two bands are forever intertwined and with the unfortunate demise of the ramshead.org PENTAGRAM site, this seems the best location to post this publicly where fans will see it. A simple forum posting on Hellride or Stonerrock seemed inappropriate and inadequate.
Vincent was diagnosed with cancer in his neck in the summer of 2004. He underwent chemotherapy and lost his trademark blond locks, but it seemed to clear it up and he embarked on a road trip taking him through Colorado-where he played a number of local solo gigs-and eventually wound up in Canada, where
he’d planned to reside. Passionately political, he’d gotten fed up with the political climate in the United States. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving, the cancer came back and so he returned to the bay area to resume treatment.
Vince in early Pentagram
During this time, Vincent worked on material on his home studio equipment, composing both instrumental fusion-styled tracks and vocal songs. It had also been decided that at the end of June when the lease was up at the place he was staying, he would move down here with me for the time being and we would work on new music together, with the eventual plan to have PENTAGRAM bassist Greg Mayne fly out for a week to record with us. Sadly, this will never happen.
As the months passed, the chemo was having less and less effect, and eventually cancer cells had shown up in his head as well. Fiercely private and not wanting to burden his friends with pessimistic news, it is difficult to know what the doctors may honestly have told him in regards to his outlook. Apparently the cells spread to his brain and he’d started brain radiation treatment in spring 2006, which, like the chemo, left him both nauseous and and so weak he couldn’t play guitar at times. Still, in a now-treasured last phone conversation I had with him around May 11th-a mere two weeks before his passing-he said he was feeling stronger and getting his appetite back, and that he was, “really looking forward to working on music,” when he got here, even stating he’d help clear out the garage so we could turn it into a studio. He sounded alert, energetic and upbeat, and I had every reason to believe things were looking up.
On Friday, May 26th, one of his roommates returned home and found him dead.
Three-fifths of an early PENTAGRAM reunion: John Jennings, Geof O'Keefe and Vincent backstage at a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert, June 21, 2004.
Vincent was one of the original members of PENTAGRAM, playing bass alongside vocalist Bobby Liebling, drummer Steve Martin and myself on guitar. We subsequently added guitarist John Jennings to beef up the sound, but Martin’s jazz-influenced drumming style wasn’t right for heavy rock and so I returned to the drums. After one single practice with this Mk. III version of the band which was amazing (and sadly unrecorded), Jennings decided he didn’t want to play heavy rock and quit, leaving us with an empty guitar slot. After a few weeks with Bobby playing guitar so we could get through the songs, Vincent suggested he try playing guitar. Bobby and I sort of chuckled to ourselves but figured we had nothing to lose.
That moment changed all of our lives forever. He blew our fucking socks off.
Vince sans locks in 2005
It was as though Blue Cheer’s Leigh Stephens had strolled into practice. We could not believe what we were hearing. How had this lanky, soft-spoken, pretty-boy bassist been this guitar-monster-in-hiding?!!
Vincent was a phenomenal guitarist, and it is sadly and truly astonishing that his incredible talent wasn’t recognized by more in the music industry. Some of his projects over the past few decades weren’t-in my opinion-necessarily the best showcases for his abilities, going off into various musical styles but never in the PENTAGRAM hard-rock vein that would have best-suited him to get the attention he so deserved and where the ‘guitar-hero’ fans would have been blown away. I had hoped to steer him back in that direction with the material we would have been working on this summer. Fans can at least enjoy his playing on the First Daze Here and First Daze Here Too PENTAGRAM releases, compiling studio and rehearsal material from the 70s.
Happier times: PENTAGRAM at the warehouse, early 70s
No, Vincent wasn’t a member of BEDEMON but BEDEMON-founder Randy Palmer played with him in PENTAGRAM for a time, and Randy idolized Vincent as he did Tony Iommi, Lou Dambra and Leigh Stephens. And now, within four years, they’re both gone, Randy at 49 and Vincent at 51. Randy wouldn’t mind the BEDEMON site being used to honor Vincent as it honored Randy after his passing. But…words can never describe the sadness, the anger and frustration of this site turning into a memorial for fallen friends and former musical partners, gone way before their time and with so much potential not yet realized.
Vincent McAllister had just turned 51 on May 8th. He was unmarried and had no children or siblings.
Geof O’Keefe 5/30/2006.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Have to say, Vincent McAllister as now truly one of my all time, most favored, respected; no revered; guitarist i have ever heared played. Watched the Netflix documentary on Pentagram and was blown away. I was so impressed and honored to have found it. While watching the studio rehearsal at the beginning, i was like — who is THAT on guitar!? No I’m hooked and it sucks so much that I can’t here more. Thank you thank you for the small hook provided by First Daze Here…. Where can I find more material from McAllister??????
I’d really like to watch something about his earlier tapes or something
Sad to learn of Vincent’s passing, albeit 8+ years after the fact. I knew Vincent in 1989-1991 in the California Bay Area. We played together in a band called The Big Picture. Yes, indeed he was a superb guitarist, and he had the work ethic to match. He was the guy with the van and the one who led by example. I did not know he was a founding member of Pentagram; he did not speak much of his past, only about the now and the future. Vincent was not only a very talented musician but he was also very intelligent, well read and in touch with the world around him. He knew film and art and he could debate any political issue with the best. He had a quietly wicked sense of humor and this way of looking right through you. After I left The Big Picture we lost touch and then I moved back east. But I have often thought of Vincent and wondered what happened with him. It will take some time for this news to sink in. He died way too young. RIP my friend and colleague.
Vincent was a beautiful man and an exceptional guitarist. So sad that his life ended early, as did the love if my life, Randy Palmer.
Vincent McAllister is, and probably will remain, my favorite guitarist, and has deeply inspired my guitar playing. My favorite guitarist for my favorite band.
Songs like 20 Buck Spin, Show ‘Em How, Target, and pretty much every piece he was a part of blow my mind entirely. His supremely badass and often crushingly heavy riffing as well as his masterful soloing never cease to entrance me.
I will never stop proclaiming this man as one of the greatest guitarists I have had ever had the pleasure of hearing. Vincent McAllister is not forgotten
Underrated guitarist for sure
Vincent and I grew up together. We were born a few months apart and our mothers were great friends. His father was in the military as was my father although later, I found out my father was in the CIA. I have no idea if his father was too. His father disappeared when we were children – don’t recall our age, maybe around 9-11. We liked to play with stuffed animals but his mother was a neat freak and she wanted to get rid of older stuffed animals so she would drain stuffing from them so they would become limp which she thought would make them less appealing. It didn’t. Vincent knew she was doing it even when we were pretty young. He always hung out in a basement room so we played there. Then suddenly when we were about 13 or 14 the room became a music room. I remember him playing his guitar for me. We were in high school together. Greg Mayne lived a few house down but I was more of a friend with Greg’s brother. I went off to boarding school and never saw Vincent again. He was a nervous kid but always very kind. I think my older brother annoyed him. I first saw this a several years ago when I looked for him since I was traveling to DC and thought I may be able to see him. I didn’t notice that I could add comments here. I was glad to learn that he had become a musician and did well at it. Vincent was a good guy, I hope he is resting in peace. It’s good to see he had found loyal friends who cared about him too. Thank you