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Slipknot pay tribute to their late bandmate Gray

By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 26 May 2010

Members of Slipknot yesterday staged an emotional press conference to pay tribute to their late bassist Paul Gray who, as previously reported, died while staying in a Des Moines hotel on Monday, aged 38.

Without their trademark masks and on-stage personas, the band’s members took it in turn to say nice things about their former bandmate. Frontman Corey Taylor said: “The only way I can sum up Paul Gray is love”, while percussionist Shawn Crahan added: “He was the essence of the band Slipknot. Paul was there from the very very beginning and none of us would be on the path we’re on right now in life or have the sorts of lives we have without him”.

Elsewhere, other American bands paid tribute to Gray and passed on their condolences to his friends and family, and his widow Brenna, who is currently pregnant with the couple’s first child. James ‘Munky’ Shaffer, guitarist with Korn, said: “I want to send my love to his family and the band, they’re going through a really very hard time right now. I’m speechless, I just want to send my prayers, love and respect to everybody that is surrounding his wife and his baby to be”.

The members of Sepultura issued a joint statement which read: “RIP Paul Gray, we’re shocked and very sad. This is another tragic loss for our metal community”, while Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix told reporters: “[Paul] was an awesome person on and off stage. He will be missed by many, including myself. His spirit will live on through the killer music he wrote”.

According to CNN, there were “no signs of foul play or significant trauma” found during the autopsy conducted on Gray’s body yesterday. A verdict on cause of death will therefore not be reached until the results of toxicology tests are available, which normally takes between four and six weeks.

You can watch the Slipknot press conference here: www.ustream.tv/recorded/7209258