Joey Jordison, known as one of the founders of the metal band Slipknot, has died at age 46.
The drummer's family confirmed the news in a statement to CNN.
"We are heartbroken to share the news that Joey Jordison, prolific drummer, musician and artist passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 26th, 2021," the family said. "Joey's death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow."
Jordison served as the drummer of Slipknot, which he helped to form in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995. The band established itself in the underground music scene but in 1999 hit commercial success after releasing its self-titled debut album. The grinding guitars, raw vocals, and controversial lyrics set the band apart. Each member, who were all assigned their own number, forged their own identity by wearing unique masks. Jordison became known for his expressionless Japanese "kabuki" mask and extreme double bass drumming.
Jordison remained with Slipknot until 2013, when it was announced that he would be parting ways with the band. It was around that time that he had been diagnosed with a rare disease of the nervous system. The musician spoke about it at 2016's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.
"Towards the end of my career in Slipknot, I got really, really sick with a horrible disease called transverse myelitis," Jordison said, according to Billboard. "I lost my legs. I couldn't play anymore. It was a form of multiple sclerosis, which I don't wish on my worst enemy."
He later revealed to Metal Hammer that he was hurt after being dismissed from the band in an email.
"No band meeting? None. Anything from management? No, nothing. All I got was a stupid f---ing email saying I was out of the band that I busted my ass my whole life to fucking create," he said. "That’s exactly what happened and it was hurtful. I didn’t deserve that shit after what I’d done and everything I’d been through."
Despite the way things were left off, Jordison added that he had no animosity towards his former band members.
"They got confused about my health issues and obviously even I didn’t know what it was at first. They thought I was fucked up on drugs, which I wasn’t at all," he said. "I’ve been through so many things with those guys and I love them very much."
It is unclear how Jordison passed away.
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Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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