DES MOINES, Iowa — Paul Gray, the bassist for Grammy-winning metal band Slipknot, was found dead Monday in an Iowa hotel room but there was no indication of foul play, police said.
A hotel employee found Gray, 38, dead in a room at the TownePlace Suites in Urbandale, a suburb of Des Moines, police said in a statement. An autopsy was planned for Tuesday.
"Paul Gray was an awesome person on and off stage. He will be missed by many including myself," Jacoby Shaddix, lead singer of metal band Papa Roach, said in a statement late Monday. "His spirit will live on through the killer music he wrote."
Gray had been staying at the hotel for "a couple days," Urbandale Sgt. Dave Disney said, declining further comment. Gray lived in the nearby suburb of Johnston.
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Amy Sciarretto, a publicist at Slipknot's record company, Roadrunner Records, confirmed Gray's death but declined further comment.
Known for its grotesque masks, trashing sound and aggressive, dark lyrics, Slipknot released its self-titled debut in 1999, and it sold about 2 million copies. Most of the band's members grew up in the Des Moines area.
"It's a devastating loss. Paul was a wonderful human being," said Andy Hall, music director of Des Moines rock station Lazer 103.3 who said he'd known Gray for 10 years. Hall said Gray was a talented bass player and one of the friendliest, most caring people he knew.
"This is a big blow, not only to the community of Des Moines but fans of metal at large, worldwide," Hall said, noting that his station planned to broadcast an hour-long tribute to Gray on Monday night.
Slipknot emerged in the mid-1990s with an aggressive mix of heavy metal and a vocal style that included growling, rapping and singing. The band has been known for extreme behavior during live performances, including urinating and vomiting on stage, according to biographies.
The band won a Grammy in 2006 for best metal performance for the song "Before I Forget," and concert
