Christopher Michael "Chris" Fehn (born February 24, 1972), or known by his number #3, is an American musician known as one of the two custom percussionists of the Grammy Award winning nu metal band Slipknot and is the current bassist for the band Will Haven.
Fehn was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to joining Slipknot, he played as a kicker on the Wayne State University Football team. Fehn joined the band around April 1997, replacing percussionist Greg Welts, who was forced out of Slipknot after the band due to personal conflicts with drummer Joey Jordison which stemmed from Welts dating Jordison's sister.
As well as lending his percussion talents to the band, Fehn has also sung backing vocals on a number of songs Slipknot has both recorded and performed live. Outside Slipknot, Fehn is a very keen golfer, and evidences this on the band's 2006 DVD, Voliminal: Inside the Nine, where he is interviewed while playing golf. Fehn describes himself as a "big fan of the band" and says of Slipknot, "the world needed something like this."[1] Slipknot bassist Paul Gray stated in an interview that Fehn "often brings humor to the band." and that they "definitely need that guy." Prior to joining Slipknot in 1997, Fehn was close friends with Slipknot's percussionist Shawn Crahan. According to Fehn, he had originally asked Crahan if he could be drummer Joey Jordison's drum tech. Shortly after his request was made, Fehn was given an offer to play custom percussion in the band. Fehn was then given a rough demo that contained all of Slipknot's songs. Fehn has said that "Spit It Out" was the song that stood out to him the most. Fehn then tried out on percussion and was subsequently made part of Slipknot.
In the early years of Slipknot before their signing with Roadrunner Records, Fehn was an electrician. In a recent interview with Face Culture, Fehn said that the band members gave him a hard time in his early years with the band. He described that his time during the self-titled album era was his "hazing period" with the band.[2]
His mask was featured in the movie Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay.
James Donald "Jim" Root (born October 2, 1971), also known by his number #4, is an American musician known for being the rhythm guitarist of the heavy metal band, Slipknot, and the lead guitaris for rock band, Stone Sour. He was the last member to join the current line-up of Slipknot, in January 1999.
James Root has performed in bands such as Atomic Opera, Deadfront and Stone Sour; the latter which he joined in 1995, and returned to along with vocalist Corey Taylor, during its revival in 2002. Prior to joining Slipknot, he worked as a screenprinter, waiter, and busboy. Root joined the band in January 1999, replacing their original guitarist, Josh Brainard, who left the band during the recording of their self-titled album, reportedly after having fulfilled his recording duties. In fact, the only two songs Root recorded during the album's sessions were "Purity" and "Me Inside", the former being featured on the short-lived first pressing of Slipknot as well as the 10th Anniversary Edition, and the latter being its replacement. Despite this, the song has become a staple for most of the band's live performances. Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor invited Root to join the band based on Taylor's past experiences working with him in Stone Sour. Although filling in the spot of rhythm guitar in 1999, Root has written lead guitar parts for Slipknot's later albums particularly on All Hope is Gone. Root typically performs on lead guitar in Stone Sour, although he sometimes plays rhythm instead. He has spoken of both bands' guitar style as being twin guitar: "In both bands, I fulfill both roles. In Slipknot, Mick [Thomson] has some solos, and in Stone Sour, Josh [Rand] has some solos.During the recording of Stone Sour's Audio Secrecy, he and Rand recorded their parts simultaneously.
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Corey Todd Taylor (born December 8, 1973) sometimes known by the number 8,is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of Slipknot and Stone Sour.Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it. Taylor first met his father on March 28, 2005, and the two have developed a strong relationship. He currently has a wife, an ex-wife, and two children. By the release of Stone Sour's Come What(ever) May, he was sober. On August 3, 2009 and July 29, 2010 he co-hosted the Kerrang! Awards alongside Scott Ian of Anthrax and The Damned Things.
Corey Taylor is a founding member of Stone Sour, and has released three studio albums with the band. Taylor joined Slipknot in 1997 to replace their original singer Anders Colsefni. He has released four studio albums with the band. Taylor constantly alternates between bands, as seen in 2001, after the release of Iowa, where he rejoined Stone Sour immediately after touring. He has worked with several bands, including Junk Beer Kidnap Band, Apocalyptica, Anthrax, Soulfly, and Avenged Sevenfold. Taylor writes and sings in styles that vary by genre. He is well known for his four octave vocal range Taylor was ranked number 86 in Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Main article: Slipknot (band)
While Corey Taylor was working at Adult Emporium, a sex shop in Des Moines, Iowa, Joey Jordison, Shawn Crahan, and Mick Thomson approached him asking him to join Slipknot.He agreeably went to one of their practices, and ended up singing in front of them. They asked him to join the band because of his melodic vocals. While Taylor was positioned as lead vocalist for the band, their previous vocalist, Anders Colsefni, was moved to backing vocals and percussion. Unhappy with the position, Colsefni later left the band.
Feeling he could expand more in Slipknot than in Stone Sour, Taylor temporarily quit Stone Sour, even though they were recording an album with Sean McMahon.Taylor's first gig with Slipknot was on August 22, 1997, which according to band members did not go well. During his first gig, Taylor did not perform wearing a mask; however, for his second show nearly a month later, Corey wore a mask that resembles his debut album mask.Taylor's current mask was described by MTV's Chris Harris as looking "as though it were made of dried, human flesh—like Leatherface, if only he used moisturizer."One of the old dreadlocked masks is now in the possession of Dom Howard of British rock band Muse, after the two bands both played MetalFest. He was apparently subjected to Taylor's "sit the fuck down!" routine face-to-face during Slipknot's set and can be seen reliving the experience (wearing the mask) on Muse's Hullabaloo DVD. Despite rumours that Howard had stolen the mask, he in fact received it from a fan afterwards.
Taylor has recorded with Slipknot since the release of their second demo album, a self-titled demo used to promote the band to prospective labels and producers.As permanent vocalist, he recorded with Slipknot at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California and released Slipknot, the band's debut album that peaked number one on the Top Heatseekers chart,went 2× Platinum in the United States,and was included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Taylor was accused of copyright infringement, regarding the lyrics of the song "Purity".Taylor began recording for their second studio album, Iowa, in 2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California.It was released August 28, 2001 and peaked number one on the UK Albums Chart,as well as number three on the Billboard 200.While writing Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), Taylor decided to write lyrics that would not warrant an explicit label.It peaked number two on the Billboard 200. All Hope Is Gone was the first Slipknot album to peak number one on the Billboard 200.
Craig Michael Jones also known as 133 (or 133 mHz), The Silent One, or by his number #5, is an American musician, best known as the sampler and keyboardist of the band Slipknot.
Jones was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He previously played in various local extreme metal bands, including Modifidious, before joining Slipknot in February 1996. He was the replacement for the band's original guitarist, Donnie Steele,who left during the recording of their first songs, put together into a demo called Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. which the band themselves have stated is not an album, but a demo. Because the band was almost completed with the demo, he did not contribute to it, but he did receive credit for its sleeve concept and graphics in the liner notes. Before the year was over, Jones had been replaced by guitarist Mick Thomson, and he began to assume his role as the band's sampler and keyboardist.
Jones is the only member of the band who is not interviewed completely unmasked on Voliminal: Inside the Nine. While he does not wear a mask during the interview, his face remains pixelated.
He speaks for two seconds at the start of their video Welcome to Our Neighborhood, where he says "133, number 5, sampling". He also speaks during the member introduction on the Ozzfest 1999 documentary called We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll, where he says "Craig, number 5, sampling".
Jones once suffered from whiplash after an extended case of powerful headbanging. Rumor has it that he got his stage name (133) by dividing 666 by his number (5).
Joey James Root has performed in bands such as Atomic Opera, Deadfront and Stone Sour; the latter which he joined in 1995, and returned to along with vocalist Corey Taylor, during its revival in 2002. Prior to joining Slipknot, he worked as a screenprinter, waiter, and busboy. Root joined the band in January 1999, replacing their original guitarist, Josh Brainard, who left the band during the recording of their self-titled album, reportedly after having fulfilled his recording duties. In fact, the only two songs Root recorded during the album's sessions were "Purity" and "Me Inside", the former being featured on the short-lived first pressing of Slipknot as well as the 10th Anniversary Edition, and the latter being its replacement. Despite this, the song has become a staple for most of the band's live performances. Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor invited Root to join the band based on Taylor's past experiences working with him in Stone Sour. Although filling in the spot of rhythm guitar in 1999, Root has written lead guitar parts for Slipknot's later albums particularly on All Hope is Gone. Root typically performs on lead guitar in Stone Sour, although he sometimes plays rhythm instead. He has spoken of both bands' guitar style as being twin guitar: "In both bands, I fulfill both roles. In Slipknot, Mick [Thomson] has some solos, and in Stone Sour, Josh [Rand] has some solos.During the recording of Stone Sour's Audio Secrecy, he and Rand recorded their parts simultaneously.
Joey Jordison (born Nathan Jonas Jordison April 26, 1975 in Des Moines, Iowa), is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the heavy metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8. He performed in several bands until joining in the summer of 1995 the group The Pale Ones, which would later change their name to Slipknot.
With Slipknot, Jordison has performed on four studio albums, and produced the live album 9.0: Live. He is also the rhythm guitarist for the horror punk band Murderdolls. Outside the majority of his projects, Jordison has performed with other heavy metal groups such as Rob Zombie, Metallica, Korn, Ministry and Satyricon. Jordison is also known for his session work which includes performances on many albums for many different artists. Jordison uses several drum brands including Pearl and ddrum.
Main article: Slipknot (band)
On November 28, 1995, Mark Anthony Cadavos approached Jordison while he was working, offering him a position in a new project called The Pale Ones.Intrigued and at a point where he was "lost",Jordison attended rehearsals at Anders Colsefini's basement and immediately wanted to be part of this new band. Speaking of this moment he said, "I remember trying so hard not to smile, so I didn't look like I wanted to join, I remained poker-faced, but I thought they ruled."A lot of Slipknot's early development was discussed by band members while Jordison worked night shifts at Sinclair's garage. Slipknot would become pioneers to the New Wave of American Heavy Metal.Jordison is accompanied by two custom percussionists,giving their music a feel that Rolling Stone touted as "suffocating".
Each member of Slipknot is assigned a number; Joey was assigned "#1".Joey has produced one album with Slipknot: 2005 live album 9.0: Live.In August, 2008, Jordison broke his ankle and Slipknot had to cancel some of its England tour dates.On August 22, 2009, Jordison was taken to the emergency room for a burst appendix,less than an hour before he was to take the stage for Auburn, Washington's KISW Pain in the Grass concert. As a result, Slipknot canceled following shows in August and September, to give Jordison time to recover.
In August 2010 Jordison was voted the best drummer of the past 25 years by readers of Rhythm magazine. Competitors included Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, Phil Collins, Dave Grohl etc. When asked to comment he stated "I'm at a loss for words. This is beyond unbelievable. Something like this reminds me every day why I continue to do this".
Mick Thompson - Lead Guitarist
Mick Thompson is an American banker and politician from Oklahoma who is currently serving as the State Banking Commissioner for the State of Oklahoma. Thompson was initially appointed by Governor of Oklahoma David Walters in 1992, and reappointed by Governor Frank Keating in 1996 and 2000. Governor Brad Henry reappointed Thompson in 2004 and 2008.
Thompson earned his bachelor's degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, his master's from Northeastern State University and also holds a graduate degree in banking from the University of Colorado at Boulder. After finishing his education, Thompson joined the Central National Bank in Poteau, Oklahoma, eventually serving as that bank's executive vice president from 1977 to 1990.
Paul Gray - Bassist
Paul Dedrick Gray (April 8, 1972 – May 24, 2010) also known as The Pig or by his number #2 was an American musician, best known as the bassist, primary songwriter and one of the founding members of the Grammy Award-winning metal band Slipknot.
Gray was born in Los Angeles, California. Later his family relocated to Des Moines, Iowa. In his youth, Gray performed in bands such as Anal Blast, Vexx, Body Pit, and Inveigh Catharsis.
In June 2003, Gray crashed his car into another vehicle. After police were called to the scene and searched his car, Gray was arrested for possession of cannabis, cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and failure to obey a traffic signal.[1][2]
At the time of his death, he was one of 3 original members of Slipknot remaining in the band, and the only one who had maintained his original role in the band due to Clown's switch from main drums to custom percussion during the early days. He was one of the two members not born in Iowa (the other is Jim Root, who was born in Las Vegas). In 2010 Slipknot released the Download 2009 performance on DVD in memory of Gray.
Besides Slipknot, Gray filled in as bassist for Unida during their 2003 tour, appeared on Drop Dead, Gorgeous' Worse Than a Fairy Tale, toured briefly with Reggie and the Full Effect and appeared on the Roadrunner United project, performing bass on "The Enemy" and "Baptized in the Redemption" from the project's album The All-Star Sessions.
Death:Shawn Crahan - Percussionist
On May 24, 2010, The Des Moines Register reported that Gray had been found dead in room 431 at the Towneplace Suites hotel in Urbandale, Iowa at about 10:50 a.m. local time.An initial autopsy determined that no foul play or trauma was involved, but could not establish the cause of death.[6][7][11] He is survived by his wife Brenna and their daughter. He also has a brother named Tony who worked for the band for many years.
The next day, May 25, 2010, the band held a formal press conference in Des Moines, Iowa. They did not take any questions from the media. The band, as well as Gray's brother, Tony, and wife, Brenna, paid tribute to him.
"He was kind of the person in the band that really wanted everybody in the band to always get along and just concentrate on the band. He was a really great friend and just a great person. He's going to be sadly missed, and the world is going to be a different place without him."
On June 21, 2010, autopsy results were released that stated Gray had died of an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, and had also shown signs of "significant heart disease".A month later, on July 30, Paul Gray was posthumously awarded the Kerrang! "Services to Metal" award; it was collected by his Slipknot bandmate Corey Taylor on his behalf.[14]
Mushroomhead, a band that Slipknot has had an on and off feud with, posted on their official Myspace page their thoughts about Paul Gray's death, stating:
"R.I.P. Paul Gray, This feud needs to end. Much Love and Respect to the guys in Slipknot".—Mushroomhead
On November 8, 2010, items that decorated Gray's grave, including statues and ornaments, were stolen. The band responded to this event with a post on their MySpace page, asking the robbers to return the stolen items.
On March 10, 2011 it was announced that Donnie Steele will be filling in for him in the 2011 Summer tour.
Michael Shawn "Clown" Crahan (born September 24, 1969), also known as Clown, or by his number #6, is an American musician, music producer, and artist. He is best known as one of the two custom percussionists of the Grammy winning heavy metal band Slipknot, and the drummer of To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits. At 41, Shawn Crahan is the oldest member of Slipknot. As a result of the death of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray in 2010, he and Joey Jordison are the only original members still in the band.
Crahan was born Michael Shawn Crahan in Des Moines, Iowa. He once performed in bands such as Heads on the Wall & One Cup Fat. He married his wife Chantel in June, 1993, in Des Moines, Iowa. They have four children, Alexandria, Gage, Gabrielle, and Simon.
As well as lending his percussion talents to the band, Crahan has also sung backing vocals on a number of songs Slipknot has both recorded and performed live. He also wrote the original draft of "Tattered & Torn", which appeared on the band's early demo, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.. Outside Slipknot, Crahan has founded Big Orange Clown Records, a vanity label within Sanctuary Records, which has so far signed the metalcore band Gizmachi. He also acted as director for, and assembled Slipknot's 2005 DVD, Voliminal: Inside the Nine, while the band engaged a brief hiatus.
He also performed with To My Surprise, recording guitar and vocals for the band's self-titled debut. The band received little interest due to their album being released amidst the success of Slipknot members Corey Taylor, James Root and Joey Jordison's side projects, Stone Sour and the Murderdolls, respectively. To My Surprise was later dropped by Roadrunner Records. In 2007, Crahan began performing as drummer for Dirty Little Rabbits. The band was a supporting act for Stone Sour during their North American tour in Summer 2007,and have released one EP, titled Breeding. They have since signed a deal with The End Records as of November, 2008.
In 2009 he contributed to Bring Me the Horizon's remix album, Suicide Season: Cut Up!, by remixing the track "Sleep With One Eye Open". Also in 2009 Shawn remixed a Suicide Silence track on their Wake Up (EP) entitled "Wake Up (Clown of Slipknot Remix)". In 2010, he contributed to Escape the Fate's This War Is Ours deluxe edition, by remixing the track "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine Part II)" and in 2011 he remixed "Angles of Clarity" for Dead by April on their compilation album "Stronger". Crahan has confirmed the formation of a brand new side project called "The Black Dots of Death" who will be releasing their debut studio album entitled "Ever Since We Were Children" on March 28. [3] He is the director of many of Slipknot's videos, dvds, and other artistic projects.
Clown Crahan, to his nickname, wears clown-style masks while performing with Slipknot. He also wears a death mask made from a cast of his own face when performing the song "Vermillion".
Sidney George Wilson (born March 15, 1977) also known as Ratboy, #0 (or 0), is an American disc jockey known as the turntablist of the Grammy Award winning band Slipknot. He is the youngest member of the band.
Sid Wilson was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. He performs in the American band.Slipknot, and also tours as DJ Starscream, a name which is derived from the Transformers character of the same name. He is a fan of the Transformers franchise, and evidences this with tattoos.
Musically within Slipknot, Wilson contributes scratching and background noise, as well as occasional keyboards. He is also considered by many to have be the worst behaved member of the band, especially during their early tours.
Outside Slipknot, Wilson has made a following in Japan as a jungle musician, under the pseudonym DJ Starscream, and is currently signed to the Japanese record label N2O Records.[1] He collaborated with The Mad Capsule Markets vocalist Hiroshi Kyono on a song called "HAKAI (Deathtroy)" released on The Songs for Death Note the movie～the Last name Tribute～, a tribute album dedicated to the live action movie for the second Death Note film.[2] A remix of the track also appeared on the Wagdug Futuristic Unity mini-album Nu Riot and 2008 album Hakai.[3] As of August 2010, he is touring with his solo band, SID. He is the lead vocalist of the band.[4] Wilson went on tour with his solo band, his last tour date was on September 5, 2010 at a music venue called Another Hole In The Wall, located in Steger, Illinois. He stated, "This is the best stop on the tour, I loved the crowd reaction. It really made me feel like I got back to my roots." He was also noted saying that he will be touring with his solo project for a year or two.
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