Paul Gray
Read the original article at http://www.411mania.com/music/columns/167542
I wrote the above sentence a few weeks ago in my Top 5 entry and I think it is a good reflection of how much I appreciate Slipknot's work and how important I believe they have been to modern Metal music. Indeed, it is a rarity in the modern era for any band to be considered unique or to develop a form of music so that it sounds totally unlike anything that has come before it, and yet this is what Slipknot were able to achieve. Paul Gray was one of the founder members of the band, and one of the chief songwriters, and as such deserves a lot of the credit for their success (which includes several Platinum albums and numerous awards, including a Grammy in 2006). In addition to this, he was a fantastic Heavy Metal bassist and stage presence.
At the time of his death, Paul Gray was working on a new project called "Hail!", a supergroup including members of Judas Priest and Sepultura. He also played an important part in the 2005 Roadrunner United project. However, it is Slipknot which was most important to him; "Slipknot is my life" he once proclaimed. He was a hugely popular figure in the Metal community and will be sorely missed.
Paul Gray passed away on May 24th 2010 and is survived by his wife and his daughter. He was only 38 at the time of his death. Slipknot released the DVD (sic)nesses, which features the band's phenomenal headline performance at the 2009 Download Festival, in his honour.
Alex Watt
