Paul Dedrick Gray was, in many respects, the beating heart of Slipknot . Born in Los Angeles on April 8, 1972, the bassist moved to Des Moines, Iowa as a teenager and became interested in music early on, thanks to some guidance from his older brother, William 'Jay' Matthews , who introduced him to bands like Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper , and KISS .
Before his adolescence began, his two greatest musical revelations came in a funny way, as he recounted in his instructional video Behind the Player: Paul Gray : “I started playing bass in 1990, but I started playing guitar around '85 or '86.
I switched to bass when I moved to Iowa because I basically didn't have any friends and I was in a music store looking at guitars and I heard a guy talking about the need for a bassist.
"He mentioned some bands they play, like Slayer, Metallica and stuff like that, and I knew all those songs on guitar, so I thought, 'I think I can play them on bass,' so I told them I played bass—I'd never played bass in my life!"
So I switched to bass, and that was it. From then on, I've been a bassist. One of my brother's friends had a weird right-handed bass and a practice amp. I went downstairs and played with them. I didn't know any of the bass lines, but I knew all the guitar parts, so I pretended. They thought it was cool… that's how I started playing bass.”
The beginning of a story
Just like the switch from guitar to bass, Paul would eventually meet the other original members of Slipknot, and it would be a life-changing decision.
As one of the four founding members of Slipknot – alongside Shawn Crahan , the former vocalist, Anders Colsefni , and Joey Jordison – Paul Gray quickly became one of the main songwriters. The bassist frequently partnered with his best friend, former drummer Joey Jordison, developing anthems like “Surfacing” and “Spit It Out,” the former including riffs he wrote with his old band Body Pit .
Before Slipknot became what it is today, they released the EP Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat . in 1996, which featured only Paul Gray, Joey Jordison , Shawn Crahan, and Craig Jones. His talent with finger-twisting riffs, including extreme slides and bends, was what set him apart even more, a skill he had undoubtedly honed as a teenager obsessed with death metal.
Producer Ross Robinson , who worked on the group's debut album, even labeled Paul Gray as "the band's secret weapon," blessed with absolute integrity and a talent for presenting the most unbelievable ideas – he was a fluent musician with a highly efficient left-handed slap technique. Paul always cited names like Flea and Bootsy Collins alongside more audible influences such as Cliff Burton and Steve Harris as his references.
The tragic 24th of May
After writing, recording, and promoting four albums – Slipknot (1999), Iowa (2001), Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004), All Hope Is Gone (2008), and the live album 9.0: Live (2005) – in one of the greatest metal bands of a generation, Paul Gray passed away on May 24, 2010.
At age 38, he was found in a room at the Urbandale Hotel in the United States at 10:30 a.m. Gray had access to several controlled substances that resulted in his morphine overdose and, consequently, his death. When he died, his wife , Brenna , was six months pregnant with their daughter, October .
Slipknot's fourth and final album with Paul Gray, All Hope Is Gone (2008), secured the band their first number one hit in the United States, as well as topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, and Austria. Months before his death, Gray had been working with a metal supergroup, Hail!, which featured former and current members of Judas Priest and Sepultura.
Dr. Daniel Baldi was convicted of medical negligence after prescribing the drug fentanyl to Gray in 2010, and the bassist's family received compensation. The healthcare professional – who also faced charges related to eight other deaths – was accused of failing to provide the necessary follow-up care for the musician's treatment with the substance.
A tribute to the legacy of Paul Gray.
Months after their deaths, some members of the band spoke exclusively to Revolver Magazine.
Brenna Gray, Paul's wife, commented on Paul's calm personality: “He was so excited and proud of his music. I never heard him yell, scream, or get angry [with anyone in the band]. I mean, as frustrating as it was on tour, he was always calm and happy to be there. Happy to be with his brothers and happy to be making music. He left me the best gift anyone could have given me. I mean, I have an amazing daughter who is such an important part of him, and I couldn't be more grateful.”
Corey Taylor confirmed that Paul was the heart and soul of the band: “He really was. He was a bigger part of it than anyone realizes. He ate and breathed Slipknot, 24/7. He was very proud of this band, he was always the guy who could bring us together.”
Joey Jordison, who passed away in 2021, also commented on his friendship with Paul: “He played with his heart. That’s his greatest strength. Even if he was sick or something, he would give it his all. When a tour was going bad, he would always make it more cheerful. Even if he was exhausted or tired, you would never notice, because he always put a smile on everyone’s face. I lost my best friend. But the point is, he’s still sitting with me now. And I feel him every day, and I talk to him every day.”
Emotional show following Paul Gray's death.
Corey Taylor stated that Paul Gray wanted them to continue, so the band decided to fulfill the remaining dates of the All Hope Is Gone , declaring that no one could replace Paul Gray. However, at the shows, Donnie Steele , the band's former guitarist, played bass backstage. Slipknot returned to the stage in 2011 for a short European tour.
At the final shows, a hanger with Gray's uniform and mask was displayed on stage, and at the end of the last performance they paid tribute to their former bassist. The highlight was Joey Jordison. The late former drummer embraced Paul's "body," crying for a few seconds, to the sound of "Til We Die," a track from the album in question. In 2011, Slipknot performed at Rock in Rio with this same tour.
Fifteen years after his death, his music remains alive. It is remembered by fans and the band he was instrumental in creating. After several events in Slipknot, it's possible to believe that certain things would never have happened in the band if Paul were still alive.
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