Slipknot have led tributes to their founding member and former drummer, Joey Jordison.
The musician died peacefully in his sleep, aged 46, his family said in a statement. No cause of death has been given. His family have asked for “privacy and peace” at this time.
On social media, Slipknot shared a black square as a sign of mourning.
Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Jordison co-founded The Pale Ones, who became Slipknot in 1995 after Jordison suggested the name based on one of their songs.
Jordison featured on the band’s first release, “Mate. Kill. Feed. Repeat”. A few years later, in 1999, their self-titled debut album went double-platinum; Jordison’s furious, thundering rhythms were considered crucial to the band’s success.
A renowned double bass drummer, he had to be strapped into his seat to play live as he performed on a spinning stage tipped to a 90-degree angle.
In 2013, it was announced that Jordison was leaving the group for “personal reasons”. A year later, he claimed he had been fired and that the decision had “shocked and blindsided him”. Then, in 2016, he revealed he suffered from a neurological condition, transverse myelitis, which had made it difficult to play.
“I got really, really sick,” he told the audience at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards. “I couldn’t play anymore. It was a form of multiple sclerosis, which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”
Jordison played in other bands, including Scar the Martyr and his side project, Murderdolls, as well as performing live with bands including Metallica, Korn and Rob Zombie.
