Korn bassist Roberto ‘Ra’ Díaz recently shared the unexpected story of how he joined the band five years ago as the replacement for original bassist Reginald ‘Fieldy’ Arvizu, in an interview with Bass Magazine.
Díaz explained how the opportunity came about through a series of seemingly random social media interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to a phone call that would change his career.
“Well, it all happened very quick and kind of out of nowhere. Long story short — this was mid-COVID era or whatever you wanna call it,” Díaz said. “I remember at some point Ray [Luzier], Korn’s drummer, followed me. And we never chatted or anything. He followed me.”
“And then Munky started following me too. But again, we never talked or anything. And then, I don’t know, fast forward — I’m not even joking, one day I just got like a DM on Instagram from Ray, the drummer. And he was, like, ‘What’s your number? Somebody’s gonna call you tomorrow.’ And I was, like, ‘This is my number.’ I didn’t know what it was for.”
The bassist described how the actual phone call unfolded. He revealed he initially had no idea the opportunity was with Korn.
“And just out of nowhere, next day I get a call and they said, ‘Hey, we have this situation, and we need someone to jump in.’ And they asked me, like, ‘Are you interested?’ And I’m, like, ‘How can you say no to that?'” he continued. “I think it’s more the person that called me, I think she assumed I already knew [that she was calling about Korn], probably that Ray told me what it was for, but that wasn’t the case. So at some point in the conversation, I’m asking her, ‘Yeah, what are the dates?’ And she’s, like, ‘This and that.’ And I’m, like, ‘Yeah, I think I can do it.'”
Díaz recalled the moment he realized which band he was being asked to join.
“And at some point, I go, like, ‘Do you need me to do something?’ And she’s, like, ‘Oh, you can film yourself playing a couple of songs.’ And I’m, like, ‘How can I find your music?’ And she goes, like, ‘Oh, we have a YouTube channel.’ I’m, like, ‘Okay, how do I find it?’ She’s, like, ‘KORN official.’ I’m, like, ‘Oh, okay.’ And then that’s when, like — it was shock and panic, and at the same time, like, ‘Wow.’ ‘Cause, like I said, it was very unexpected, and it happened in the middle of COVID. I went from not knowing when I was gonna be able to play a show again to getting a phone call to, like, ‘Can you come and rehearse with Korn?'”
The bassist described his immediate response to learning about the opportunity.
“It went from almost depression to the biggest happiness. And, obviously, I was, like, ‘Yes, I’m very interested. And I’ll give it a shot.’ Yeah, like I said, I was driving, and when they said that in that phone call, I legit called my friend, canceled the plans, turned around, went back home, learned a bunch of songs, and I think in a few hours I’d sent them some videos. And everything went from there.”
Díaz’s unexpected journey to joining Korn came during a particularly challenging period for the band. They were navigating the departure of their longtime bassist and co-founder.
Loudwire reported that Fieldy announced his hiatus from the band in June 2021. He cited personal issues and “bad habits” that were causing tension within the group. The original bassist stepped away from live performances while remaining supportive of the band’s continued activities. Korn quickly moved to secure Díaz as Fieldy’s touring replacement for their summer 2021 shows. The band stated they had already been rehearsing together.
Prior to joining Korn, Díaz had established himself as the bassist for Suicidal Tendencies, a prominent thrash and punk metal band. Revolver Magazine noted that his experience with Suicidal Tendencies provided him with the metal scene versatility needed to step into Korn’s demanding live performances. What began as a temporary touring arrangement in 2021 has evolved into a steady live replacement role that continues to this day.
The transition marked a significant shift for Korn, who had previously used temporary fill-ins sparingly. Ultimate Metal revealed that Tye Trujillo, son of Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, had filled in for Fieldy at select 2017 Korn shows. However, Díaz’s role represents a more permanent arrangement. The bassist has expressed ongoing enthusiasm for his position with the band. He stated his continued love for every moment of the experience.
Recent developments suggest that Fieldy’s departure may be more permanent than initially anticipated. Metal Injection reported that Fieldy has described himself as “retired from Korn today” in recent interviews. He has left open the possibility of future involvement while noting a lack of communication with his former bandmates. This development has solidified Díaz’s role as Korn’s live bassist. It allows him to continue the journey that began with that unexpected Instagram message and phone call during the pandemic.
