Paul Gray (American musician)
| Paul Gray | |
|---|---|
 Paul Gray in the band Slipknot (2008)' | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Dedrick Gray |
| Also known as | #2, The Pig |
| Born |
April 8, 1972 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died |
May 24, 2010 (aged 38) Johnston, Iowa, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative metal, nu metal, heavy metal |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1994–2010 |
| Labels | Roadrunner, Nuclear Blast, Pale One, -ismist |
| Associated acts | Slipknot, Anal Blast, Vexx, Body Pit, Inveigh Catharsis, Unida, Reggie and the Full Effect, Painface |
| Website | www.slipknot1.com |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Ibanez PGB1L Signature Model Warwick basses | |
Paul Dedrick Gray (April 8, 1972 – May 24, 2010), also known as The Pig or by his number #2, was an American musician, best known as the bassist and one of the founding members of the Grammy Award-winning metal band Slipknot.
Early life and career
Gray was born in Los Angeles, California. Later his family relocated to Des Moines, Iowa. In his youth, Gray performed in bands such as Anal Blast, Vexx, Body Pit, The Have Nots and Inveigh Catharsis.
In June 2003, Gray crashed his car into another vehicle. After police were called to the scene and searched his car, Gray was arrested for possession of marijuana, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and failure to obey a traffic signal.[1][2]
At the time of his death, he was one of 3 original members of Slipknot remaining in the band, and the only one who had maintained his original role in the band due to Clown's switch from main drums to custom percussion during the early days. He was one of the two members not born in Iowa (the other is Jim Root, who was born in Las Vegas). In 2010 Slipknot released the Download 2009 performance on DVD in memory of Gray.
Besides Slipknot, Gray filled in as bassist for Unida during their 2003 tour, appeared on Drop Dead, Gorgeous' Worse Than a Fairy Tale, toured briefly with Reggie and the Full Effect and appeared on the Roadrunner United project, performing bass on "The Enemy" and "Baptized in the Redemption" from the project's album The All-Star Sessions.
An award was named after Paul titled "Paul Gray: Best Bassist of the Year", as a tribute to Paul. Slipknot presented the award to Nikki Sixx, of Sixx A.M. and Mötley Crüe.
Death
On May 24, 2010, The Des Moines Register reported that Gray had been found dead in room 431 at the TownePlace Suites Hotel in Urbandale, Iowa at about 10:50 a.m. local time.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] In a 911-call, obtained by TMZ, one of the hotel's proprietors said that a hypodermic needle was found next to Gray's bed, as well as many pills that were apparently scattered across the room.[11] An initial autopsy determined that no foul play or trauma was involved, but could not establish the cause of death.[6][7][12] He is survived by his wife Brenna and their daughter October, who was born after his death. He also has a brother named Corey who worked for the band for many years.
The next day, May 25, 2010, the band, without their usual masks, held a formal press conference in Des Moines, Iowa. They did not take any questions from the media. The band, as well as Gray's brother, Tony, and wife, Brenna, paid tribute to him."He was kind of the person in the band that really wanted everybody in the band to always get along and just concentrate on the band. He was a really great friend and just a great person. He's going to be sadly missed, and the world is going to be a different place without him."
On June 21, 2010, autopsy results were released that stated Gray had died of an overdose of morphine and fentanyl, and had also shown signs of "significant heart disease".[14] A month later, on July 30, Paul Gray was posthumously awarded the Kerrang! "Services to Metal" award; it was collected by his Slipknot bandmate Corey Taylor on his behalf.[15] A private funeral was held on May 28, 2010. Paul Gray is buried at the Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa.
On November 8, 2010, items that decorated Gray's grave, including statues and ornaments, were stolen.[16] The band responded to this event with a post on their MySpace and Facebook page, asking the robbers to return the stolen items and appealing for information from the public.[17]
Donnie Steele filled in for him on Slipknot's 2011 Summer tour. Slipknot shows during this time featured Paul's jumpsuit and Self-Titled era pig mask on a stand, along with a bass guitar standing next to it. Fans honoured Paul with a two minute silence during the band's headline set at Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth.[18]
In September 2012, Gray's physician Daniel Baldi was charged with involuntary manslaughter relating to Gray's death, as well as the deaths of at least seven others. He was accused of continually writing high-dose prescription narcotics to Gray, despite him being a known drug addict from December 27, 2005 until his death. The doctor appeared in court on September 27, 2012 to face the charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.[19]
Discography
|
Filmography
- 1999: Welcome to Our Neighborhood
- 2002: Disasterpieces
- 2002: Rollerball
- 2006: Voliminal: Inside the Nine
- 2008: Nine: The Making of "All Hope Is Gone"
- 2008: Behind The Player: Paul Gray
- 2009: Of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams
- 2010: (sic)nesses (posthumous)
- 2011: Goat (Iowa DVD) (posthumous)
References
- ↑ Kaufman, Gil (June 2, 2003). "Slipknot Bassist Busted For Drugs After Car Crash". MTV. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ "Slipknot bassist arrested". BBC. June 3, 2003. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ Lawler, Joe. Hulsebus, Lars L. (May 24, 2010). "Slipknot bassist Paul Gray found dead at Urbandale hotel". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ↑ "WOI: Pills, syringe found next to Slipknot bassist Paul Gray's body". 25 May 2010.
- ↑ "Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray Found Dead in Hotel". Billboard. 24 May 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray Found Dead FMQB, May 24, 2010
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Slipknot Band Member Found Dead At Hotel". KCCI-TV. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ↑ "Slipknot's Paul Gray dies: Mirror.co.uk". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ↑ "Slipknot bassist Paul Gray dead - Metro.co.uk". Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ↑ "Slipknot bassist Paul Gray found dead in hotel room". News.com.au. May 24, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ↑ "Paul Gray 911 call - 26/10/2010.wmv". YouTube. 2010-10-26. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
- ↑ "Grey died from an overdose on morphine.". USA Today. May 25, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ↑ Montgomery, James (May 25, 2010). "Slipknot Call Bassist Paul Gray 'The Best Of Us'". MTV. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ↑ Crumb, Michael J. (June 21, 2010). "Slipknot bassist died of morphine overdose". MSNBC. Associated Press. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
- ↑ "And the winners are...". Retrieved June 30, 2010.
- ↑ "Theft From SLIPKNOT Bassist's Grave". Blabbermouth.net. 2010-11-08
- ↑ Slipknot (2010-11-08). "Theft From Paul's Grave". MySpace. Retrieved 2010-11-08
- ↑ "Slipknot honour Paul Gray during Sonisphere headline set | News". Nme.Com. 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
- ↑ Published 6th September 2012 (2012-09-06). "Paul Gray's doctor charged with involuntary manslaughter | Celeb News | Archive | Daily Star. Simply The Best 7 Days A Week". Dailystar.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
External links
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Wikinews has related news: Slipknot bassist Paul Gray found dead in hotel room at age 38 |
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