While Pantera reigned supreme as the kings of groove metal in the 1990s, their musical preferences extended far beyond the realm of heavy music. Recently, Mike Kroeger, the bassist of Nickelback, opened up about a surprising musical passion of the late Vinnie Paul during his appearance on a podcast, revealing a unique side of the renowned drummer.

During their visits to the iconic Clubhouse strip club in Dallas, Kroeger shared an intriguing story about one particular pop star that Vinnie was eager to introduce him to, highlighting the unexpected connections between these two distinct bands.

Discover the Pop Star Vinnie Paul Enthusiastically Promoted on the Way to the Club

Kroeger joined The Meep Meep Podcast hosted by Ryan Rainbro to discuss the long-standing friendship between Nickelback and Pantera. During their conversation, Kroeger emphasized that despite Pantera’s monumental status as metal icons and Nickelback’s ascent as a leading rock band transitioning into mainstream radio, both bands were unbothered by public perception. They embraced their musical camaraderie without hesitation.

“Vinnie was an enormous fan,” Kroeger remarked. “He was a huge fan of my brother [Chad Kroeger]…. both Vinnie and Dimebag Darrell were unapologetically passionate about all kinds of music. I can imagine that there were moments when some of the traditional metal musicians might have questioned, ‘Why is he hanging out with Nickelback? What’s the deal with those guys?’ But Vinnie and Dime loved our music, and they made no secret of it,” Kroeger explained.

He then provided another example to illustrate the brothers’ unreserved appreciation for a diverse range of music.

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“I vividly recall a limousine ride with Vinnie and Dime from a gig in Dallas to the Clubhouse one night. Vinnie was so animated; if it were possible to do backflips in a limo, he would have been doing them for Christina Aguilera,” Kroeger reminisced. “He was like, ‘You’ve got to hear this!’ as he cranked up the Aguilera tracks. It was like being in a bizarre Twilight Zone episode, where I found myself with one of the most influential metal drummers of all time playing me Christina Aguilera songs on the way to a strip club.”

Nickelback’s Mike Kroeger Shares Insights on The Meep Meep Podcast

Vinnie Paul’s Affection for Christina Aguilera and Pop Music

Kroeger’s revelation about Vinnie Paul’s admiration for Christina Aguilera aligns with the drummer’s past public mentions of the pop star. In a red carpet interview for Fuse, Vinnie, then a member of Hellyeah, openly shared some of his guilty pleasure songs, stating, “What a Girl Wants, what a girl needs. All day and all night, come on.”

Additionally, in a 2014 interview with NYS Music, he explicitly stated, “I don’t think there are any big ‘secrets’ regarding my musical tastes that you don’t already know. I absolutely adore female singers, and Christina Aguilera is one of my favorites.” He also praised other iconic artists like Heart’s Wilson sisters, Halestorm's Lzzy Hale, and Pat Benatar within that same interview.