Paul Gray was born in Los Angeles on April 8th, 1972. He later took up residence in Des Moines, Iowa, where he became one of the initial members of Slipknot. Gray had been in trouble with the police at least once during his life, having been arrested for possessing cocaine and marijuana in 2003. His wife Brenna was expecting a child at the time of his death.
Gray's body was found at 10:50 a.m. on May 24th by a maintenance worker employed by TownePlace Suites, where Gray was staying. He was discovered crumpled in the corner of the room, and medical personnel attending the scene found drug paraphernalia such as pills and a hypodermic needle in the room. The medical examiner responsible for discovering the cause of Gray's death, Dr. Gregory Schmunk, announced that the musician died after an accidental overdose of injected fentanyl and morphine. Gray's death was not connected to the pills, but Dr. Schmunk did mention that Gray suffered from heart disease, which may have been a contributing factor.
Gray was one of the nine individuals who made up Slipknot in 2010. He had been in the band from its earliest days, beginning with the first incarnation of the group -- Painface -- which included surviving member Shawn Crahan. Gray also played in the band's second incarnation, The Pale Ones, before being included in the original Slipknot line-up in 1995.
Following Gray's death, Slipknot went on extended hiatus, and reports circulated that the band would cease to exist in the wake of the loss of their bassist. However, seven months after Gray's death, lead vocalist Corey Taylor announced that the band would continue on and tour in the summer of 2011. They began working on new material as well, claiming that this is what Gray would have wanted the group to do.