Joey Jordison: Death, Illness, Slipknot Departure Explained

You probably know the masked drummer from Slipknot’s blistering early albums. But behind the kit, Joey Jordison was fighting a battle he could not win with sheer speed alone.

Born: April 26, 1975 ·
Died: July 26, 2021 ·
Age at death: 46 ·
Band tenure (Slipknot): 1995–2013 ·
Cause of death: Transverse myelitis complications ·
Slipknot albums recorded: 4 studio albums

Here are the essential verified details of Joey Jordison’s life and career.

What happened to Joey Jordison?

His death in 2021

Joey Jordison died peacefully in his sleep on July 26, 2021, at age 46. His family announced the news through a statement, as reported by BBC News, which did not clarify whether his medical condition was directly connected to his death.

Cause of death announcement

Later reports confirmed that complications from transverse myelitis were the cause of death, according to ABC News Australia.

Public reaction

Fans and musicians across the metal community paid tribute online. NME reported an outpouring of condolences from fans and fellow drummers.

What was the disease that Joey Jordison had?

Transverse myelitis diagnosis

In 2016, Jordison publicly disclosed that he had suffered from transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition that inflames the spinal cord. He revealed this at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards, as reported by NPR. He described the disease as a form of multiple sclerosis.

How it affected his drumming

Jordison said the illness caused him to lose the ability to walk and prevented him from performing near the end of his time with Slipknot. Rolling Stone reported that Jordison said he had lost his legs and could not play anymore because of the disease.

Misconceptions about his condition

Some fans initially speculated that substance abuse caused his departure. Jordison categorically denied this, and the medical disclosure in 2016 clarified that a diagnosed autoimmune condition, not addiction, had ended his career.

Why did Joey quit Slipknot?

Firing vs quitting

The exact nature of Jordison’s exit remains disputed. Slipknot announced on December 12, 2013, that Jordison and the band were parting ways for personal reasons, as reported by The Guardian. The band’s statement did not cite a medical reason at the time.

Statement from Slipknot

In 2016, NME reported that Jordison said he did not voluntarily leave Slipknot and felt “shocked and blindsided” by the decision. He later blamed transverse myelitis for his inability to perform, which he said indirectly led to his firing.

Joey’s personal account

Jordison told Rolling Stone, “I got really really sick with a horrible disease called transverse myelitis.” He said the band became frustrated with his declining performance, leading to the split.

What did Slipknot say about Joey’s death?

Official Slipknot tribute

After Jordison’s death, Slipknot posted a tribute on social media calling him a founding member and acknowledged his contributions to the band. The statement was widely covered by outlets including Billboard.

Individual member reactions

Former bandmates including Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan shared personal tributes online, though the band did not directly address the previous tensions.

Legacy in band history

Slipknot’s statement recognized Jordison as a founding member and co-writer of the band’s first four albums, which are considered classics of the nu-metal genre.

How many members of Slipknot have passed away?

List of deceased members

Two former Slipknot members have died: bassist Paul Gray in 2010 and drummer Joey Jordison in 2021.

Circumstances

Paul Gray died from an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl at age 38, as Rolling Stone reported. Joey Jordison died from complications of a neurological disease.

What was Joey Jordison doing before he died?

Sinsaenum band

In the years after Slipknot, Jordison remained active. He played in Sinsaenum, a death metal supergroup, and released music with them.

VIMIC project

He also formed VIMIC, a hard rock band, and released an EP titled “Open Your Omen” in 2019.

Public appearances

Jordison made his final public appearance at a metal festival in 2019, where he performed with Sinsaenum. After that, his health reportedly declined further before his death in 2021.

Where was Joey Jordison found dead?

Location details

The exact location of his death has not been publicly specified. His family’s statement, reported by Billboard, said he passed away peacefully in his sleep but did not name a city or state.

How announced

The family’s statement was released to media outlets on July 27, 2021, and did not include a location. Outlets including The Guardian covered the death as a major news story.

Joey Jordison’s early life and career

Nathan Jonas Jordison was born on April 26, 1975, in Des Moines, Iowa. He started playing drums at age 8 and co-founded Slipknot in 1995 with percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. The band’s self-titled debut album released in 1999 became a platinum-selling breakthrough, thanks in large part to Jordison’s blistering double-bass drumming.

He also played guitar and contributed to side projects including Murderdolls, Scar the Martyr, VIMIC, and Sinsaenum. The complexities of musician deaths and their aftermath are explored further in our feature on Mac Miller’s death.

This table outlines the musical projects Jordison contributed to throughout his career.

Joey Jordison mask history

Jordison’s mask evolved across Slipknot’s career. He wore a white kabuki-style mask with black eye makeup in the early years, then graduated to a Japanese demon-inspired mask during the Iowa era. For the Vol. 3 album, he adopted a more theatrical mask resembling a disfigured doll’s face, and later used a metal-mesh mask resembling a chainmail veil.

Joey Jordison’s story is not just a tragedy—it is a case study in how a rare disease can end a career before anyone knows it has begun, and how the music industry often lacks the language to handle a sudden medical disability. For Slipknot fans, the takeaway is clear: the drummer who defined the band’s early sound was fighting a private battle all along, and the band’s delayed acknowledgment of his condition remains a sore point for those who believe his contributions deserved a more transparent goodbye.

For musicians facing a career-ending illness, Jordison’s story offers a cautionary lesson: transparency about a hidden disability can be more protective than secrecy. For Slipknot’s legacy, the implication is clear—acknowledge the full story, including the human cost, or risk letting the disease define the narrative instead of the music.