Joey Jordison, founding drummer of heavy metal band Slipknot, dies at 46

JOEY Jordison, a founding member and drummer of iconic heavy metal band Slipknot, died on Monday at the age of 46. Although he suffered from a spinal disease some years back, he had since recovered. He passed away in his sleep.

His family released a statement to Rolling Stone magazine: “Joey’s death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow. To those that knew Joey, understood his quick wit, his gentle personality, giant heart, and his love for all things family and music. The family of Joey have asked that friends, fans, and media understandably respect our need for privacy and peace at this incredibly difficult time.”

According to TMZ, Jordison was pronounced dead at the scene, no foul play is suspected and there were no illegal drugs found at the house.

Born Nathan Jonas Jordison on April 26, 1975, he grew up in rural Iowa in the middle of the US and began playing drums from when he was eight years old.

When he was 20-years-old, in 1995, Jordison founded Slipknot alongside Shawn 'Clown' Crahan and Paul 'the Pig' Gray. During performances, his drum solos made him a fan favourite, but behind the scenes he played an important role in the band’s songwriting, helping with the rhythms and beats that propelled the band to its initial success. 

Slipknot’s self-titled debut album was released in 1999 and thanks to a slot on Ozzfest and videos for ‘Wait and Bleed’ and ‘Spit It Out,’ it was certified platinum within a year.

Over time, the band expanded to nine members and became famous for their nightmarish masks and costumes, as well as their unique sound, fusing metal and rap. 

Jordison would be part of the Slipknot’s first four albums, with his final album being 2008’s ‘All Hope Is Gone’, which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts in the US.

In 2010, Paul Gray died of an overdose, and in 2013 Jordison himself left the band for “personal reasons”, which he later revealed to be related to his diagnosis of a neurological condition called acute transverse myelitis that inflames the spine.

“I couldn’t play anymore. It was a form of multiple sclerosis, which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I got myself back up, and I got myself in the gym and I got myself back in f*****g therapy to f*****g beat this s***,” he told the audience at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2016. 

In 2016, Jordison claimed Slipknot had fired him over email three years earlier over a misunderstanding relating to his illness.

“They thought I was f****d up on drugs, which I wasn’t at all. I’ve been through so many things with those guys, and I love them very much. What’s hurtful is the way it went down was not f****g right,” he told Metal Hammer. 

In addition to playing drums for Slipknot, he played guitar for metal band Murderdolls and Sinsaenum. He also played with many heavy metal bands, like Rob Zombie, Korn, Metallica, among others.

In an interview three years ago he declared that he was '100% back' after his battle with his acute transverse myelitis and he showed signs of continuing to perform.

With news of his death, fans and admirers paid tribute.

– The Vibes, July 28, 2021