Slipknot's Bassist Dead

Paul Gray, the Slipknot bassist, was found dead in a hotel room by an employee of the TownePlace Suites Hotel in Urbandale, Iowa just before 11:00AM EDT this Monday. It had been confirmed by a spokesperson of Roadrunner Records, Slipknot’s label, at MTV that the 38-year-old talented musician had died but there were no reports yet as to what caused his sudden death.

The police said that there was no foul play evidence found in the scene but it is still under investigation and the autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday and a toxicology test will also be administered to find out what may contribute to Paul Gray’s death.

Paul Gray or #2 also known as “The Pig” because of the mask he wears while performing is one of the founders of the group Slipknot. They formed it on the year 1995 together with Shawn Crahan (Clown) and Joey Jordison. Slipknot’s lineup shifted over the years because the members departed from it or switched instruments but Paul Gray was the only consistent member, being the bassist since the beginning.

Over the years, the group had produced four albums; the latest is All Hope Is Gone which was released in 2008. It debuted at Number One on the Billboard albums chart. The year 2009 was the year that they tour around the world, before they had a time off. Come early 2010, Paul Gray announced that he would play with Hail, a hard-riffing super group featuring Tim Owens (Ripper), David Ellefson of Megadeath and Andreas Kisser of Sepultra.

But Paul Gray’s life was not all about music. In 2003, he was arrested because of drug-possession charges. A cop discovered small amounts of Marijuana, Cocaine and two syringes in his car following a traffic accident in Des Moines. Though the charges were eventually dropped, Paul Gray still admitted that he was under the influence of the drugs at the time when the mishap happened.