Paul Gray, also known as the Pig, was a prominent American musician, bassist, backing vocalist, and chief songwriter. He was one of the founding members of the famed heavy metal band Slipknot.
Over the years, the heavy metal band’s lineup has undergone several changes since its inception in 1995.
Together with Shawn Crahan and Joey Jordison, Paul co-founded the band and later welcomed nine more members.
Nearly thirteen years ago, the music world mourned the loss of bassist Paul Gray, leaving Slipknot’s fans devastated by the untimely news of his demise.
In 2022, fans took the time to honor Gray’s legacy and his impact on the music industry, expressing that the founding members of the heavy metal band Slipknot could have produced more hit songs if he were still with us.
On May 24, 2022, Aberdeen’s most prominent radio show, Heavy Granite, tweeted about Paul and expressed, “Still sorely missed.”
Today marks 12 years since we lost Slipknot founder and bassist Paul Gray. Still sorely missed.#slipknot #paulgray pic.twitter.com/NDkALGLDbh
— Heavy Granite (@HeavyGranite) May 24, 2022
Loudwire also shared a past interview with the bassist, where he discussed their song ‘Slipknot.’
According to the late musician, it was the very first song they worked on before they even began working with Joey Jordison.
Paul Gray stated, “We all thought the name Slipknot rolled off the tongue pretty easily, and we needed a name to play the show. We did one other show before that, and we were called Meld, but we didn’t like that at all. So we went with Slipknot. And that show, people just tripped out. They’d never seen anything like it. After that, we couldn’t really change the name.”
Shortly after, the band released “All Hope is Gone.”
What Led to Paul Gray’s Demise?
In May 2010, it was reported that the 38-year-old Slipknot bassist was discovered deceased in a hotel room.
A hotel employee at the Town Plazza hotel found Gray’s body. According to medical reports, Paul Gray eventually succumbed to a drug overdose.
Paul’s wife, Brenna Gray, disclosed that Paul had relapsed into drug addiction in 2008. She also voiced concerns about his Des Moines, Iowa doctor, Daniel Baldi, who continued to prescribe the anti-anxiety drug Xanar despite Paul’s history of abusing it.
Brenna Gray remarked, “I just knew it was his drug of choice, that he had struggled with it. So I just wasn’t really sure why he was on it, why he needed it along with the medication he was taking for addiction.”
Paul’s doctor, Daniel Baldi, faced nine counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Gray and eight others.
Prior to the devastating loss of Slipknot’s Gray, his wife came across an unused needle floating in their toilet and a bag of it. Two days later, the talented musician passed away.
The reader may find this text intriguing and informative, as it discusses the cause of death of Paul Gray. They may appreciate the mention of two possible causes, drug overdose or anxiety, as it adds a layer of complexity to the story. The reader may be interested in learning more about the circumstances surrounding Gray’s death and what led to these potential causes.