Arlington’s ‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’ fulfills dream with Hall of Fame

Jerry Warden stands proudly in front of one of his favorite posters in the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame.

“If Darrell was here, he’d be our No. 1 fan,” Warden said with a somber smile in memory of his late friend known widely as Dimebag Darrell, guitarist for the heavy metal band Pantera, which has roots in Arlington.

Downtown Arlington is also the site for Warden’s museum, which pays tribute to his friends in Pantera and many other heavy metal bands. It opened earlier this year at 120A East Abram Street, and has long been a dream of the 64-year-old Arlington native who grew up loving and playing heavy metal music.

“I started collecting as a kid. As I was growing up I went to Page Drug down the street from me and couldn’t wait to get the newest albums,” Warden said.

Whether one is a fan of heavy metal or not, Warden’s museum, which is just under 1,000 square feet in size, offers many interesting artifacts, including rare autographed vintage posters. There are also playlists from concerts, promotional objects, and even a cute, albeit creepy, clown doll with an interesting backstory.

Warden started into another story — he has one for each exhibit.

“Joey Panic — his band’s called Panic,” he began. “He invites me over for a barbecue. He and his wife had gotten together and were asking themselves, ‘Who do we give this clown to?’ It was disturbing her peace, she said.”

Then, Warden chuckled as he sat the clown back in its place, “But he’s a good boy.”

Leader of Warlock

Warden is formerly the leader of his own heavy metal band. Warlock started in 1981, the same year as Pantera.

“We were always their friends. We opened for them,” Warden said. “We got to open up for Metal Church when we brought them to town.

“The reunion show for Warlock in 2014 was fantastic. Man, that brought back some memories.”

Warden said he has plans to put out a new record of remastered Warlock material.

“It was great stuff then and it’ll be even greater stuff now,” he said with a grin.

Wave of British heavy metal

When the new wave of British heavy metal hit the United States in the late 1970s, Warden said it caught his heart.

“I used to go to Fantasia Records on Cooper and place my order. He couldn’t put it on the shelves because it’d scare the hell out of people,” Warden said.

Rex Brown, bassist for Pantera and the longest serving member of the band, having joined in 1982, credits Warden for leading the way in spreading the word locally about the British heavy metal invasion.

“Up to then I knew nothing about these new import bands coming over,” Brown said. “It totally changed the way I looked at music.

“He was always the first in town to have the newest records. He had the first Iron Maiden record.”

Warden is also known to some as the “Godfather of Heavy Metal in Arlington.” Brown said, “I give him that title with honor. I’m just so happy that he’s being distinguished by the community. He deserves it.”

Museum also a small concert venue

The Heavy Metal Hall of Fame is more than a museum. It’s also a small concert venue, with local bands performing almost every Saturday night.

“If the weather is good, we’ve got the front door open. The place is packed,” Warden said.

“After all, if you’re going to come admire the history of the music, you might as well listen to the music,” he added.

Concerts typically begin at 7 p.m. and go “until the last band finishes,” Warden said. Cost is regulary $15 per person, which includes admission to the museum.

“I want people to say ‘I got to see some cool stuff and hear some great music,’” he said.

While there is much to admire at Warden’s museum, he has plans for growth. For example, he’d like to have complete Judas Priest and Black Sabbath displays.

“Black Sabbath was the beginning. There’s nothing else like them,” he said. “Judas Priest is right there behind them, and they were the first big band to carry the heavy metal flag.”

Warden is also considering a transition to a nonprofit organization for the museum. In addition, he is working on a way to book tours online.

“Celebrating the apex of independent heavy metal bands is where you have always found Jerry Warden,” said his younger brother, Rick Warden, who also celebrates the music in a podcast. “His efforts have been super heroic in the sense that the results are some of the best heavy metal bands in the world.”

Brown called Jerry Warden a man of vision. In fact, he patented the name Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in 2011 in anticipation of reaching his dream.

“People started learning about heavy metal through word of mouth, and Jerry’s been spreading the word for many years,” Brown said. “He’s still doing it.”

This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.