Which "Slipknot" band member passed away in 2010 of a drug overdose?

The Slipknot member who died of a drug overdose in 2010 was bassist and co-founder Paul Gray. Known inside the band as #2 and nicknamed “the Pig,” Gray was found dead on May 24, 2010, in a hotel in Urbandale, Iowa. He was 38 years old.

An autopsy determined that Gray died from an accidental overdose involving morphine and fentanyl. The report also noted substantial heart disease and traces of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax. Early reports did not establish the cause of death, so later references to the tragedy sometimes simplify or obscure the medical findings.

Gray helped form Slipknot in Des Moines, Iowa, and played bass while contributing backing vocals and songwriting. He appeared on the band’s breakthrough albums, including Iowa and Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). Slipknot’s surviving members held an emotional press conference without their trademark masks the day after his death, alongside Gray’s widow and brother.

The band later honored him with the 2012 album The Gray Chapter, whose title refers directly to Gray’s legacy.