Joey Jordison | |
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 Jordison in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | #1 |
| Born | Nathan Jonas Jordison (1975-04-26)April 26, 1975 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | July 26, 2021(2021-07-26) (aged 46) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
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| Website | |
Nathan Jonas "Joey"Jordison (April 26, 1975 – July 26, 2021) was an American musician. He was the original drummer of the heavy metal bandSlipknot,[1] in which he was designated#1, and the guitarist for thehorror punksupergroupMurderdolls.[2][3]
Jordison grew up inDes Moines, Iowa, with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8. He performed with many bands early in his career; then in 1995, he joined a band called the Pale Ones, which would later change their name and become Slipknot. Jordison played in Slipknot since its inception, helping form the band until his departure in December of 2013. Of Slipknot's nine-member lineup, which lasted from 1999–2010, Joey was the third to join the band. He was also the drummer and founder ofScar the Martyr, which formed in 2013 and disbanded in 2016.
With Slipknot, Jordison performed on the band's first four studio albums, and produced the 2005 live album9.0: Live. Outside his major projects, Jordison performed with various other acts such asRob Zombie,Metallica,Korn,Ministry,Otep, andSatyricon. Jordison was also known for hissession work, which included performances on various recordings for many artists. Jordison used several drum brands includingPearl, andddrum. At the time of his death, Jordison was playing in theblackened death metal supergroupSinsaenum.
Jordison was born inDes Moines, Iowa, on April 26, 1975, to Steve and Jackie Jordison. He had two younger sisters.[4] He grew up in a rural area outside ofWaukee where he used to play basketball on the street in front of his house. He embraced music at an early age, which he attributes to his parents' influence: "They always sat me down in front of the radio, rather than the TV."[4] He played guitar until receiving his first drum kit as a gift from his parents at age eight, and started his first band while in elementary school.[5]
Jordison's parents divorced when he was young. The children stayed with their mother.[6] His mother remarried and set up afuneral parlor where Jordison would occasionally help. Jordison stated that he felt a sudden responsibility to be the man of the house. During this time, he formed the band Modifidious, in which he played drums. He later described them as "totalspeed-metal thrash".[7] The band helped Jordison break new ground, playing live as support to local bands including Atomic Opera, featuringJim Root, and Heads on the Wall, featuringShawn Crahan.[8] He also played at a bowling center his family owned, on a night called "Bowl-O-Rama".[9] After a multitude of lineup changes—includingCraig Jones and Josh Brainard, who would reappear in Slipknot—the band released two demos in 1993:Visceral andMud Fuchia.[8][10]
After leaving school, Jordison was hired by a local music store calledMusicland. In March 1994, after a recommendation from his new friend, he got a job at aSinclair garage inUrbandale. Jordison worked the night shift, which he preferred, as it left his weekends free and allowed him to spend time with his friends and listen to music while working.[11] In early 1995, Modifidious disbanded because of a shift in interest from thrash metal to death metal in America. Following this Jordison joined a local band called the Rejects as a guitarist, with whom he only played a couple of shows. Jordison was also involved in a band with future bandmatePaul Gray and vocalist Don Decker, named Anal Blast.[12] Gray also attempted to recruit him for another band, Body Pit, but he declined the invitation to remain in the Rejects. During the forming period of Slipknot, Paul recruited Joey to join a punk rock band called the Have Nots in the Spring of 1996. Joey would leave the Have Nots in February 1997 to "focus on Slipknot" but instead reformed the Rejects, which would play Des Moines up until Slipknot left to record their 1999self-titled debut album, which Paul played in after the Have Nots broke up.[13]
In September 1995, Paul Gray approached Jordison while he was working, offering him a position in a new project called the Pale Ones.[12] Intrigued and at a point where he was "lost",[14] Jordison attended rehearsals atAnders Colsefni's basement and immediately wanted to be part of this new band. Speaking of this moment he said, "I remember trying so hard not to smile, so I didn't look like I wanted to join, I remained poker-faced, but I thought they ruled."[15] A lot of Slipknot's early development was discussed by band members while Jordison worked night shifts at Sinclair's garage.[16][17] Of the eventual nine members, Joey was the third to join the band. Slipknot would become pioneers to thenew wave of American heavy metal.[18][19] Jordison was accompanied by two custom percussionists,[20] giving their music a feel thatRolling Stone touted as "suffocating".[21]
Each member of Slipknot is assigned a number; Joey was assigned "#1".[22] Joey produced one album with Slipknot, the 2005 live album9.0: Live.[23] In August 2008, Jordison broke his ankle and Slipknot had to cancel some of its English tour dates.[24] On August 22, 2009, Jordison was taken to the emergency room for a burst appendix, less than an hour before he was to take the stage for Auburn, Washington'sKISW Pain in the Grass concert.[25][26] As a result, Slipknot canceled following shows in August and September, to give Jordison time to recover.[27]
On December 12, 2013, Slipknot announced through their official website that Jordison had left the band, citing personal reasons for his departure.[28] In response, Jordison released a statement insisting that he had in fact been fired from the band and stated that Slipknot "has been my life for the last 18 years, and I would never abandon it, or my fans".[29]
After years of both sides being silent and evasive as to the reasons for his leaving the band, Jordison revealed in June 2016 that he suffered fromtransverse myelitis, a neurological disease that cost him the ability to play the drums toward the end of his time with Slipknot.[30]
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While touringOzzfest in 2001 to support Slipknot's studio albumIowa, Jordison metTripp Eisen, then ofStatic-X; the two discussed forming a side project.[31] In 2002, Jordison revived his band The Rejects, renaming them the Murderdolls.[32] Jordison became the Murderdolls' guitarist, and he recruitedWednesday 13 ofFrankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 to play bass. Wednesday eventually became a vocalist, while drummer Ben Graves and bassistEric Griffin completed the band's lineup.[33] Murderdolls signed withRoadrunner Records and released anEP entitledRight to Remain Violent in 2002. The band returned in August 2002 with their debut albumBeyond the Valley of the Murderdolls.[34] The band uses horror films, includingFriday the 13th andNight of the Living Dead, as an inspiration for their lyrics.[35] On October 30, 2002, the Murderdolls made an appearance on an episode ofDawson's Creek entitled "Living Dead Girl".[36] The band reunited in 2010 with only Jordison and Wednesday 13 remaining from the original line-up.[37] The band released their second studio albumWomen & Children Last on August 31, 2010.[38] The band embarked on the extensiveWomen & Children Last World Tour performing shows alongside many notable acts such asGuns N' Roses and performing around the world. The tour was plagued with many problems including the cancellation of many shows and repeated incidents of Jordison storming off stage, most notably inBordeaux, France (attributed to extreme tinnitus[39]) andPerth, Western Australia. The tour finished on April 24, 2011. This was considered to be the band's last outing as Wednesday 13 confirmed the band's split in an interview in 2013.[40]
In April 2013 details emerged of a new band featuring Jordison,Jed Simon andKris Norris. Little else was released except that Jordison had performed most instruments in this project and thatChris Vrenna and an unknown vocalist were to complete keyboard and vocal work, respectively. On June 21 the band was namedScar the Martyr and the vocalist named asHenry Derek. On May 5, 2016, Jordison announced that the project had been disbanded.[41]
On May 5, 2016, Jordison announced in an interview on Sirius XM that he had launched a new band calledVimic.[41] In an interview withWall of Sound in 2018, Jordison explainedVimic was "still 100% active".[42]
On May 20, 2016, Jordison announced a newextreme metal bandSinsaenum, dual fronted by vocalistAttila Csihar (ofMayhem andSunn O)))) along with keyboardist Sean Zitarsky (ofChimaira andDååth). The band also included Jordison on drum duties,DragonForce bassistFrédéric Leclercq on guitar, Stéphane Buriez fromLoudblast on guitar, and Heimoth from the band Seth on bass. They announced the launch of their debut albumEchoes of the Tortured on July 29, and released their first single "Army Of Chaos" on earMUSIC'sYouTube channel.[43] The second album, calledRepulsion for Humanity, was released on August 10, 2018.[44]
In 2001, Jordison worked on a remix of "The Fight Song" byMarilyn Manson.[45] Jordison also appeared in the music video for Manson's cover of "Tainted Love".[46] Later in the year, Manson revealed that Jordison had been working with him on his albumThe Golden Age of Grotesque. Jordison had in fact worked on guitars but the track did not appear on the album.[46] In 2004, Jordison appeared onOTEP's albumHouse of Secrets, drumming on six tracks for the album.[47] In 2008, Jordison appeared onPuscifer's album"V" is for Viagra. The Remixes, with a remix of the track "Drunk With Power".[48] In 2010, Jordison recorded four additional songs withRob Zombie for the re-release of his latest albumHellbilly Deluxe 2.[49]
Jordison performed with other bands, solely as a touring member. While preparing for theDownload Festival in 2004,Metallica drummerLars Ulrich was hospitalized for an unknown illness.[50] Metallica's vocalistJames Hetfield searched amongst other bands performing at the festival to find a replacement for Ulrich; Jordison, Flemming Larsen (Ulrich's drum technician) andDave Lombardo ofSlayer volunteered. Jordison performed on 8 of the 13 songs that made up the set and was called the band's "hero of the day".[51] In late 2004, Jordison performed withSatyricon on their tour of the United States when drummerFrost was refused entry into the country.[52] The tour was cut short after guitarists Steinar Gundersen and Arnt Gronbech—who were also only touring members—were charged with sexually assaulting a fan inToronto.[53] In 2006, Jordison joinedMinistry for their "MasterBaTour 2006", which consisted of sixty dates across the United States and Canada.[54] He also appeared in the music video for their single "Lies Lies Lies".[55]Korn recruited Jordison in 2007 to join them on tour when drummerDavid Silveria went on hiatus from the band.[56] He also appeared in the music video for their single "Evolution". While touring with Korn, Jordison became the first musician to perform on five occasions at the Download Festival in England.[57] Jordison also toured withRob Zombie afterTommy Clufetos withdrew from the band in 2010.[58]
In August 2004, Jordison became involved inRoadrunner United, a celebration ofRoadrunner Records' 25th anniversary. As one of four "team captains" who wrote and produced material for the album,[59] Jordison said of the experience, "I thought it was a great idea and was really excited about it, because it was a chance to work with a lot of artists that I really respected while I was growing up."[60] In 2007,3 Inches of Blood recruited Jordison to produce their albumFire Up the Blades. Jordison was a fan of the band and when he heard that Roadrunner wanted to have some demos produced he said; "I was the first one to jump at it, I'm like; 'I want this fucking band'."[61] From these demos the label commissioned a record. Vocalist Jamie Hopper said of Jordison, "he's an amazing producer".[62]
Jordison citedNeil Peart ofRush,Keith Moon ofthe Who,John Bonham ofLed Zeppelin,Gene Krupa, andBuddy Rich as his main influences.[63] He said, "I grew up listening toMötley Crüe'sToo Fast for Love andShout at the Devil."[64] He describedLars Ulrich (ofMetallica),Charlie Benante (ofAnthrax), andDave Lombardo (formerly ofSlayer) as having a considerable influence on his drumming.[63] Jordison also heldDale Crover ofMelvins in high esteem.[63]
Jordison usedPearl drums, hardware, rack system, pedals and percussion,Paiste cymbals,Remo Drumheads,[65]Promark drumsticks,ddrum triggers andRoland electronics.[66]
(Jordison usedOrange County Drum and Percussion from 1998-2002,Sabian Cymbals at 1999-2001,Avedis Zildjian Company from 1999 and Easton Ahead drumsticks up until 2008, when he switched to Promark)
In a 2016Metal Hammer interview, Jordison talked about suffering fromacute transverse myelitis.[30] Its symptoms started in 2010 while touring with Murderdolls, but the disease was diagnosed long after.[63] This progressed to the loss of the use of his left leg.[66] Theneurological disease had cost him the use of his legs and caused him to be unable to play the drums before rehabilitation.[30][63] He recovered with the aid of medical help andphysical therapy, with his trainer Caleb.[63]
Jordison died in his sleep on July 26, 2021, at the age of 46.[67][68]
In August 2010, Jordison was voted the best drummer of the previous 25 years by readers ofRhythm magazine, ahead of drummers such asMike Portnoy,Neil Peart, andPhil Collins. When asked to comment he stated "I'm at a loss for words. This is beyond unbelievable. Something like this reminds me every day why I continue to do this."[69][70]
As voted on by 6,500 drummers worldwide, Jordison won the Drummies Award for Best Metal drummer in 2010.[71]
In September 2013, Jordison was named the world's greatest metal drummer by readers ofLoudwire.[72]
In 2016, Jordison was honored with The Golden God Award at theMetal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.[73]
Following Jordison’s death in 2021, tributes were shared by several musicians includingMike Portnoy,Alex Skolnick ofTestament,Fred Durst ofLimp Bizkit,Dave Lombardo,Lars Ulrich, Ben Thatcher ofRoyal Blood, and multiple others.[74]
In 2022, Slipknot dedicated their seventh studio albumThe End, So Far in memory of Jordison.[75][76]
| Year | Artist | Album | Track(s) | Position | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Marilyn Manson | The Fight Song(Single) | "The Fight Song" (Slipknot Remix) | Remixing | [91] |
| 2003 | Deicide | The Best of Deicide | — | Liner notes | [92] |
| 2004 | Otep | House of Secrets | "Warhead", "Buried Alive", "Sepsis", "Hooks & Splinters", "Nein", "Self-Made" | Drums | [93] |
| 2005 | Necrophagia | Harvest Ritual Volume I | "Stitch Her Further" | Vocals, lyrics | [94] |
| 2007 | 3 Inches Of Blood | Fire Up the Blades | — | Production, arrangement, writing, percussion | [95] |
| 2008 | Puscifer | "V" Is for Viagra. The Remixes | "Drunk With Power" (Hungover And Hostile In Hannover Mix) | Remixing | [96] |
| 2010 | Rob Zombie | Hellbilly Deluxe 2(Reissue) | "Devil's Hole Girls and the Big Revolution", "Everything Is Boring", "Michael" | Drums | [97] |
| 2013 | Ministry | Enjoy The Quiet - Live At Wacken 2012(Live) | Bonus Disc: Wacken 2006 | Drums | [98] |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
| Year | Film | Character | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Welcome to Our Neighborhood | Self | Thomas Mignone | [99] [100] |
| 2001 | We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll | Penelope Spheeris | [101] [102] | |
| 2002 | Rollerball | John McTiernan | [103] [104] | |
| Dawson's Creek("Living Dead Girl" episode) | Les Sheldon | [105] | ||
| Disasterpieces | Matthew Amos | [106] [107] | ||
| 2005 | Metal: A Headbanger's Journey | Sam Dunn | [108] [109] | |
| 2006 | Voliminal: Inside the Nine | Shawn Crahan | [110] [111] | |
| 2008 | Roadrunner United: The Concert DVD | Todd Bell and Nicholas Kleczewski | [112] | |
| 2009 | Of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams | Shawn Crahan | [113] [114] | |
| 2010 | (sic)nesses | Shawn Crahan | ||
| 2011 | GOAT | Shawn Crahan |
| Preceded by | Slipknot drummer 1995–2013 | Succeeded by |
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