Slipknot bassist found dead

The Des Moines Register reports:

Urbandale police are investigating the death of Slipknot’s bass guitarist at a local hotel.

Paul Dedrick Gray, 38, of Johnston was found dead at approximately 10:50 a.m. today by an employee at TownePlace Suites, 8800 Northpark Drive, police said.

Gray was known as “#2” as part of Slipknot‘s philosophy of separating personal identity from the group in terms of making music.

No cause of death is yet known, but the Examiner makes mention of Gray’s “darker side to his life, dealing with drugs and alcohol abuse.”