Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray Dead at 38

Slipknot co-founder and bassist Paul Gray, 38, was found dead in his Urbandale, Iowa hotel room Monday morning. According to the Des Moines Register, police found no evidence of foul play but an investigation is underway. An autopsy and toxicology tests will be conducted Tuesday in order to determine cause of death.

According to the paper, Gray's family called the hotel asking staff to check on him because they couldn't reach him by phone. An employee of the hotel found Gray's body at about 10:50 Monday morning and called 911.

Gray co-founded metal band Slipknot in 1995. The band's debut album was Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat, released in 1996.

In 2003, Paul Gray was arrested in Des Moines following a car accident. According to IMDb, Gray was driving drunk and ran a red light, hitting another car and leaving the scene. He was found to be in possession of marijuana, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.

According to MTV News, Shadows Fall singer Brian Fair said of Gray's passing, "I had the pleasure of first getting to know him on a press trip to New York City before our tour with Slipknot and Lamb of God in 2005 and then sharing stages and good times with him and the boys around the world."

Fair added Gray was a "great musician, an underrated songwriter and a truly warm soul underneath the evil mask he rocked onstage...This is a huge loss to the metal world. He will be missed deeply."

Metal producer Colin Richardson's rep said Richardson, "is a true fan to the core and sends his love and condolences to everyone in Slipknot and their camp."

Slipknot has been nominated for seven Grammys. In 2006, the band won an award for Best Metal Performance for Before I Forget.

There is no doubt Gray and Slipknot band members shared a bond with fans - a bond Gray cherished. He told MTV News in 2008, "It makes you kind of speechless, man. Some kid who's so depressed or things are going so bad for them that they actually want to take their own lives, and then they listen to a Slipknot lyric or a song ... and that actually gets them through that? I mean, what can you say?"

Paul Gray's death comes on the heels of two other metal deaths in a matter of a few weeks:

Type O Negative bassist Peter Steele was 48 when he died April 15 reportedly of heart failure. Just eight days before Gray's death, the metal world was rocked to its core when metal god Ronnie James Dio, 67, lost his battle with stomach cancer on May 16.

Sources:
Slipknot's Paul Gray Remembered By Shadows Fall, Sepultura, Nonpoint - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News| MTV News
Slipknot co-founder Paul Gray found dead at Urbandale hotel | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register
IMDb, Paul Gray (VI) - Biography
Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray On Fans' Dedication - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News