Another one of my favorite metal musicians has died.
In April, it was Type O Negative's singer bassist Peter Steele. Last week, it was Ronnie James Dio. This week, it was bassist Paul Gray, known as No. 2 to the Maggots, also known as Slipknot fans.
Gray, the co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning band Slipknot, was found dead in a room at the Towne Plaza Hotel in the band's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday.
The cause of death is still to be determined, but authorities have said there was no evidence of foul play, according to various news sources.
Sadly, I never got to see Gray play live. The last two times the band scheduled dates in Salt Lake City, they had to cancel. The last time they scheduled and canceled was last August.
Before the band canceled that date, I was able to interview Gray by telephone. He has always been my favorite member of Slipknot, and the interview only confirmed that status in my eyes.
Gray was accommodating and answered my questions with a soft-spoken, low-key attitude that belied his and his band's stage presence.
During the interview, Gray told me how much he loved Utah.
"I love Salt Lake," he said. "I have some friends there who have houses in Salt Lake and Park City."
He was even thinking of moving here and getting a condo at The Gateway.
He wanted to be close to a place that not only had snowboarding, but skiing, swimming and biking.
"You guys live in a beautiful place," he said. "In Iowa, we have the four seasons, but you guys have activities for every season."
I've been wearing my Slipknot hoodie for the past few weeks because of the rain and cold, but this week, I'm wearing it in memory of Gray.
I've also got my favorite Slipknot song, "Duality," blasting on my iPod as I write.
Here's to Gray's family. Here's to his expectant wife, Brenna. Here's to his fans. Here's to his band.
And here's to you, Paul. You will be missed.
e-mail: scott@desnews.com