Shawn Crahan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Crahan performing with Slipknot in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Shawn Crahan[1] |
| Also known as |
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| Born | (1969-09-24)September 24, 1969 (age 55)[2] |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Member of | Slipknot |
| Formerly of | |
Michael Shawn Crahan (born September 24, 1969),[2] more commonly known by his stagepersona "Clown", is an American musician. He is the co-founder, percussionist, and only constant member of thealternative metal bandSlipknot, in which he is designated#6. He helped form Slipknot in 1995 alongside bassistPaul Gray and former vocalistAnders Colsefni. Crahan is the longest-serving member of the band, and also has extensive involvement with Slipknot's media production and music videos. Outside Slipknot, Crahan had two side project bands calledTo My Surprise andDirty Little Rabbits. Aside from his musical activity, he also directed the 2016action thriller filmOfficer Downe.
Crahan married his wife Chantel[3] in June 1993, inDes Moines, Iowa. They had four children together,[4] the second youngest of whom died in 2019 at the age of 22.[4][5] Crahan is also a filmographer and photographer, having published a Slipknot photo album "The Apocalyptic Nightmare" in 2012. In 2012, he made his debut acting appearance in the filmThe Devil's Carnival. Crahan's son, Simon, currently plays drums inVended, a band also containing fellow Slipknot memberCorey Taylor's son Griffin.
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In 1995, Crahan formed a metal band known as the Pale Ones with fellow musicianPaul Gray, which featured himself as the band's drummer. Wanting to expand the band's percussion section, Crahan brought inJoey Jordison to fill in as drummer while Crahan's efforts were focused on percussion. The lead vocalist,Anders Colsefni, played a second percussion kit, which gave the band a layered, distinctive drum sound. In 1996, they released a song known as "Slipknot", and through Joey's suggestion, the band changed their name to Slipknot and released their first official album. This album would later become known to the band as their demo. Crahan felt that the original vocalist for Slipknot was too guttural, and was the primary reason for Slipknot's inability to get a record deal. He brought inCorey Taylor from another local band calledStone Sour, whose vocals were more melodic. Slipknot got a record deal a couple years later and released theirfirst official album in 1999. Slipknot gained major notability the same year by touring withOzzfest. In Slipknot's early years, Crahan brought several dead cow heads on stage.[6]
As well as lending his percussion talents to the band, Crahan has also sung backing vocals on a number of songs Slipknot has both recorded and performed live. He also wrote the original draft of "Tattered & Torn", which originally appeared on the band's first album,Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. which featured the original singer of Slipknot beforeCorey Taylor was brought in as a replacement. A second version of "Tattered & Torn" was released on their self-titled album.
Outside Slipknot, Crahan has foundedBig Orange Clown Records, avanity label withinSanctuary Records, which has so far signed themetalcore bandGizmachi. He also acted as director for, and assembled Slipknot's 2005 DVD,Voliminal: Inside the Nine, while the band was on hiatus.
He also performed withTo My Surprise, recording guitar and vocals for the band'sself-titled debut album. The band received little interest due to their album being released amidst the success of Slipknot membersCorey Taylor,Jim Root andJoey Jordison's side projects,Stone Sour and theMurderdolls, respectively. To My Surprise was later dropped byRoadrunner Records. In 2007, Crahan began performing as drummer forDirty Little Rabbits. The band was a supporting act for Stone Sour during their North American tour in Summer 2007,[7] and have released oneEP, titledBreeding. They have since signed a deal withThe End Records as of November 2008.[8]
In 2009, he contributed toBring Me the Horizon's remix album,Suicide Season: Cut Up!, by remixing the track "Sleep With One Eye Open". Also in 2009, Shawn remixed Coheed and Cambria's "Welcome Home" and aSuicide Silence track on theirWake Up EP entitled "Wake Up (Clown of Slipknot Remix)". In 2010, he contributed toEscape the Fate'sThis War Is Ours deluxe edition, by remixing the track "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine Part II)," and in 2011, he remixed "Angels of Clarity" forDead by April on their compilation album "Stronger." Crahan has confirmed the formation of a brand-new side project called The Black Dots of Death who released their debut studio albumEver Since We Were Children on March 28, 2011.[9] He is the director of many of Slipknot's music videos, DVDs and other artistic projects. He also directed the "We Are" videoclip from the bandHollywood Undead
Crahan generally wears clown-style masks while performing with Slipknot; however, on occasion, when performing the band's song "Vermilion", all band members will wear their owndeath masks instead.
He also featured as thecarny "Tamer" inThe Devil's Carnival, a full-length feature film directed byDarren Lynn Bousman which was screened on their tour beginning in April 2012.[10]
Crahan has been credited with several things that Slipknot is known for, such as their large percussion section and their masks. Crahan began wearing a clown mask to rehearsals when the band was still fairly unknown, spawning the mask theme that the band is known for today.[citation needed]
Crahan has had several masks throughout his career with Slipknot, all of which are clown themed except for his "death mask", which was used in the video for the song "Vermilion". Crahan's earliest known mask and perhaps his most referenced one is one that he used during Slipknot's earliest self-titled album which is a happy looking clown mask, balding with long orange hair.[citation needed]
In June 2016, Crahan made his directing debut with the filmOfficer Downe based on the graphic novelOfficer Downe written byJoe Casey and illustrated byChris Burnham.[11][12][13] Crahan also directed the music video for the song "A-M-E-R-I-C-A" byMotionless in White and "We Are" byHollywood Undead.
Crahan has also participated in several other music-related endeavours, and acted asexecutive producer onL.D. 50 byMudvayne and the self-titled debut album bydownthesun. He was also briefly the owner of a short-lived record label, Maggot Recordings (also known as Maggot Corps.), which existed briefly between 2001 and 2002 as a subsidiary ofLondon-Sire Records, aWarner Music Group label. The label's only signed act wasdownthesun. The label was rendered defunct following the collapse of London-Sire in January 2002.[14]Downthesun's self-titled debut album, which was scheduled to be released in February 2002 through the label, was eventually released through Roadrunner in October 2002.[15][16][17][18]
| Preceded by none | Slipknot drummer 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Slipknot percussionist 1995–present | Succeeded by none |
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| International | |
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