Musician helped found Slipknot
Joey Jordison, a founding member of the metal band Slipknot and drummer for the group during the peak of its popularity in the early 2000s, has died at the age of 46.
The Associated Press reported his death, citing confirmation from his family. The cause and place of death was not immediately available.
“We are heartbroken to share the news that Joey Jordison, prolific drummer, musician and artist passed away peacefully in his sleep,” his family told AP. “Joey's death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow.”
Jordison was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. He played in a number of bands and was already well-known in the local metal scene before joining the group in 1995. It was then known as the Pale Ones, later Meld and ultimately called Slipknot.
The band lineup grew to nine members, and they were known for their explosive live shows combining metal and rap, and driven by Jordison's fast-paced drumming. They were also famed for their ghoulish outfits and iconic masks that became a core part of their identity.
Jordison wrote many of the band's songs. Slipknot's first, self-titled album in 1999 sold two million copies, followed by an even more popular 2001 album, Iowa.
He left the band in 2013 for personal reasons. Jordison later said it was because he had a neurological condition that left him unable to play. “I got really, really sick with a horrible disease called transverse myelitis; I lost my legs,” he told the audience at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2016, according to NME magazine. “I couldn't play anymore. It was a form of multiple sclerosis, which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.”
He also played drums over the years for Metallica, Ministry, Korn, Satyricon and Rob Zombie.