Paul Gray knew he would be a musician from an early age and began working with numerous bands such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Body Pit, The Have Nots, and Inveigh Catharsis. However, he gained worldwide recognition as the bassist, backing vocalist, primary songwriter, and one of the founding members of Slipknot.
During his time with the band, Gray worked on four Slipknot albums, from 1990’s self-titled debut to 2008’s ‘All Hope Is Gone.’ Between these records, he became the only member who had preserved his original role in the band. In addition to contributing to the band’s sound as an original member, Gray built a reputation as one of the greatest bass players in rock and metal music.
Hence, many people believed he would make it to the end with Slipknot during his career. Though Gray had ventured into other projects besides the ones with his primary band, many fans thought he was an inseparable part of Slipknot. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as expected as Paul Gray suddenly passed away on May 24, 2010, at the young age of 38.
When the unfortunate news first came out, it was reported that he had been found dead in room 431 at the TownePlace Suites Hotel in Urbandale, Iowa. According to a 911 call made by one of the hotelkeepers, a needle was found next to the musician’s bed, and many pills were scattered across the room. While it looked like an overdose, an initial autopsy didn’t shed light on the cause of death.
Two months later, another autopsy suggested that the musician had died of an overdose. Paul Gray’s physician Daniel Baldi faced accusations of writing high-dose prescription narcotics to Gray from December 27, 2005, until his death, despite his past struggle with addiction. As a result, Baldi was charged with involuntary manslaughter relating to Gray’s death. Still, he wasn’t the only victim of this physician since he was accused of being responsible for the deaths of at least seven others.
The following years continued with trials to decide whether Daniel Baldi was responsible for those people’s deaths. He first pleaded not guilty and returned to medicine in 2016. However, in 2018, the Gray family received an out-of-court settlement from a civil lawsuit they had filed against Baldi and his former employers. Two months later, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy permanently banned Baldi from prescribing substances for chronic pain.
Prior to all of these accusations and lawsuits, Slipknot had organized numerous tributes to their late member. First, a private funeral was held on May 28, 2010. Later, the band featured Paul’s jumpsuit, pig mask on a stand, and a bass guitar standing next to it during their 2011 Summer tour. The band’s lead singer Corey Taylor also got a tattoo of Gray on the back of his left leg to immortalize his memory.
As for the band’s first album after Gray’s death, Slipknot released its fifth studio album in 2014. The remaining members named the album ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’ as a tribute to their late friend. According to his family, the malpractice of Gray’s physician caused his passing, and the music world lost a precious icon.
