Slipknot’s Joey Jordison will perform on the Castle Donington stage on June 13th, 2009 in Leicester, England.
Photo: Jo Hale / Getty Images
- Slipknot co-founder and former drummer Joey Jordison has died at the age of 46.
- “We are heartbroken to announce the news that Joey Jordison, a prolific drummer, musician and artist, died peacefully in his sleep,” said a family statement.
- The musician was recognized by the readers of the drum magazine Rhythm as the greatest drummer of the last 25 years and contributed significantly to the establishment and influence of later generations of rock and metal.
Joey Jordison, co-founder of Slipknot and one of the most influential metal drummers of his generation, has died at the age of 46, his family said.
“We are heartbroken to announce the news that Joey Jordison, a prolific drummer, musician and artist, died peacefully in his sleep,” his family said Tuesday in a statement published by Rolling Stone and several US media outlets.
Iowa-born Jordison was one of Slipknot’s three founding members and helped make the U.S. nine-piece a global star in the early 2000s, while rock and metal acts routinely battled pop stars at the top of the commercial charts.
Known for their horror face masks and kettle suits, they took to the stage in the mid-1990s with a louder, darker, and more aggressive incarnation of metal that became both a commercial hit and a huge impact on later generations.
Behind all the stage pantomimes and shock antics was a tech-savvy band, fueled by Jordison’s tight, high-speed drumming and relentless blast beats, as well as his songwriting skills for some of the band’s most iconic tracks.
The band worked with legendary producer Rick Rubin on their third album and won their first Grammy in 2006.
But Jordison claimed his proudest personal moment when he was voted the greatest drummer of the past 25 years by readers of drum magazine Rhythm in 2010.
Jordison left Slipknot in dire circumstances in 2013, saying he was effectively coerced.
He later revealed that he had been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a nerve disorder that affected his ability to play.
In recent interviews, he said he managed to get back in shape through intense physical therapy.
Joey Jordison left Slipknot bitter. He later announced that he had been diagnosed with transverse myelitis.
His side projects have included Murderdolls, Scar the Martyr, Vimic and Sinsaenum, and he also played live drums for a variety of big metal acts such as Metallica, Korn and Rob Zombie.
Metallica paid tribute to Jordison by posting a photo of the drummer on their Facebook page with the caption “RIP Brother”.
Other prominent metal musicians praised Jordison’s technique and the influence he had on their own bands.
“Joey’s contributions to music have changed the face of heavy music on the planet as we know it,” wrote Trivium front man Matt Heafy.
“An absolute legend that changed not just the drums, but metal music as a whole,” added popular metal YouTuber Nik Nocturnal.
Former Slipknot bandmates Corey Taylor and Shawn Crahan both posted black squares on their Twitter accounts after news of Jordison’s death came out.
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