Paul Gray (American musician)
As Slipknot's foundational bassist and co-founder, his thunderous, melodic grooves were the dark, steady heartbeat of the band's chaotic sound.
1972–2010 (age 38)·American bassist·Birthday: April 8·Generation X
Biography
Paul Gray, known to fans as #2 or 'the Pig', was one of the essential architects of Slipknot's sonic assault. Co-founding the band in Des Moines, Iowa, his bass playing was more than just low-end rumble; it provided a crucial, often surprisingly melodic anchor within the nine-member maelstrom of percussion and rage. Gray's stage presence, hidden behind his own distinctive mask, was a figure of focused power. His contributions are etched into metal anthems like 'Wait and Bleed' and 'Duality'. His tragic death in 2010 from an accidental drug overdose sent shockwaves through the music world, leaving a void in the band he helped build. The 'Paul Gray' signature model bass stands as a testament to his enduring influence on a generation of heavy music players.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paul was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Died at 38
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Co-founded Slipknot, a band that would become one of the most influential and commercially successful in modern heavy metal.
- His bass work is featured on all of Slipknot's first four studio albums, including the platinum-certified 'Iowa'.
- Posthumously awarded, with the rest of Slipknot, a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song 'Before I Forget' in 2006.
Did You Know?
His original Slipknot mask was a modified bondage mask that inspired his nickname 'the Pig'.
He was left-handed but played right-handed bass guitars.
A street in his hometown of Des Moines was renamed 'Paul Gray Memorial Way' in his honor.
He was designated #2 in Slipknot's numbering system for members.
“We're not here to make friends, we're here to make music. If you like it, cool. If you don't, that's cool too.”
