Paul Gray

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 former bassist, backing vocalist, songwriter, and one of the founding members of Slipknot.

What Happened?
On May 24, 2010, The Des Moines Register reported that Gray had been found dead in room 431 at the TownPlace Suites Hotel in Johnston, Iowa, at about 10:50 am local time. 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. An initial autopsy determined that no foul play or trauma was involved, but could not establish his cause of death. He is survived by his wife, Brenna, and his daughter, October, who was born after his death.

On June 21, 2010, autopsy results were released that Gray had died of an overdose of morphine, and had shown signs of “significant heart disease. Also found in the autopsy were traces of the anti-anxiety pill Xanax, which Gray had a history of abusing.

The Aftermath
On the day after Gray’s death, 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.

A private funeral was held on May 28, 2010. Paul Gray was buried at the Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa. On November 8, 2010, items that decorated Gray’s grave, including a Buddha statue and a gargoyle statue, were stolen. The band responded to this event with a post on their MySpace and Facebook pages, asking the robbers to return the stolen items and appealing for information to the public.

On July 30, Paul Gray was posthumously rewarded the Kerrang! “Services to Metal” award, which was collected by his Slipknot bandmate Corey Taylor on his behalf.

Slipknot’s former guitarist Donnie Steele filled in on bass guitar for Gray on Slipknot’s 2011 Memorial 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 right next to it. Fans honored Gray with a two-minute silence during the band’s headline set at Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth.

Corey Taylor also got a tattoo of Paul Gray and his number on the back of his left leg, which was documented in the television series NY Ink, during the second episode of season 1.