Paul Gray Dead; Slipknot Bassist Died

Slipknot and Slipknot fans are in mourning today. One of the most talented musicians who also the founder of Slipknot, bassist Paul Gray, dead in a room at Iowa hotel early Monday morning (May 24). According to some reports, Slipknot bassist died at 38. There was no immediate reports on the cause of death.

The Des Moines Register reported that police were called to the TownePlace Suites hotel in Urbandale, Iowa, shortly before 11 a.m. after an employee discovered Paul Gray dead in a hotel room. There was no evidence of foul play, police told the newspaper, but the investigation is ongoing and Paul Gray autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. A toxicology test will also be done to determine any contributing factors to his death.

A spokesperson for Slipknot’s label, Roadrunner Records, confirmed the report to MTV News.

Gray, better known as #2 or “The Pig” because of the mask he wore while performing with Slipknot, helped form the group in 1995, along with current members Shawn “Clown” Crahan and Joey Jordison. Though the band’s lineup shifted over the years — with members departing or switching instruments — Gray’s position within the group remained constant: He was the only bass player Slipknot ever had.

The group would release four albums, the last of which — 2008′s All Hope Is Gone — debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart. They spent most of the next year touring the world before taking an extended break at the end of 2009. Earlier this year, Gray announced that he would be using the time off to play with hard-riffing supergroup Hail!, featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens, Megadeth’s David Ellefson and Sepultura’s Andreas Kisser.

In 2003, Gray was arrested on drug-possession charges after police discovered small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and two syringes in his vehicle following a traffic accident in Des Moines. Those charges were eventually dropped; Gray admitted he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident.