Amidst the tumult of personnel changes within the Slipknot ranks—most notably the departures of longtime members Chris Fehn in 2019 and Craig “133” Jones in 2023—rumblings have emerged regarding the dwindling presence of original late ’90s members. Yet, according to percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan, this narrative has been misconstrued for quite some time.
In a recent candid conversation with The Break Down With Nath & Johnny, Crahan sought to set the record straight, asserting that he, bassist Paul Gray, and vocalist Anders Colsefni (known by his real name Andy Rauw) stand as the sole founding trio of Slipknot. Notably absent from this trio is a certain figure.
“There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the band’s origins,” remarked Crahan. “But let me be crystal clear—it was Andy Rauw, the original vocalist, myself, and Paul who laid the foundation.”
“Andy departed early on, leaving Paul and I to navigate the journey once we secured our record deal. The media, the critics, those with inflated egos—they love to distort the truth. But let me tell you, Paul Gray stood by me even before Slipknot. He was at my wedding three years prior to our collaboration with Andy. That’s the unvarnished truth.”
Crahan’s revelations challenge the popular perception that Slipknot’s genesis occurred in 1995 with Crahan, Gray, and drummer Joey Jordison, excluding Colsefni from the equation.
The band’s trajectory saw them release Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. in 1996, featuring Crahan, Gray, Colsefni, and Jordison alongside guitarists Donnie Steele and Josh “Gnar” Brainard, before evolving into the classic lineup immortalized in their 1999 self-titled debut over the ensuing years.
1 thought on “CLOWN Clarifies Who Actually Started SLIPKNOT”