Cause of Death Is Determined for Slipknot Bassist

By DAVE ITZKOFF
An image posted in memory of the Slipknot bassist Paul Gray on the band’s Web site.An autopsy for the Slipknot bassist Paul Gray found that he died from an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, a synthetic morphine substitute, Reuters reported. A statement released by the police department of Urbandale, Iowa, following the release of an autopsy report from the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office, said that Mr. Gray also suffered from “significant heart disease.”

Mr. Gray, 38, a founding member of the heavy metal band Slipknot who was known by the stage nicknames No. 2 or “The Pig,” was found dead on May 24 at a TownePlace Suites hotel in Johnston, Iowa, north of Des Moines. The group, which had been on a yearlong hiatus at the time, won a Grammy in 2005 for its song “Before I Forget,” and its 2008 album, “All Hope Is Gone,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard sales chart.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/cause-of-death-is-determined-for-slipknot-bassist/?partner=rss&emc=rss