The former drummer of US heavy metal band Slipknot, Joey Jordison, has died at the age of 46.
In a statement, Jordison’s family said he passed away peacefully in his sleep.
They did not reveal his cause of death, but said his passing had left them with “empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow”.
Jordison was one of Slipknot’s original members, founding the band in 1995 along with percussionist Shawn Cruhan and bassist Paul Gray.
The group released a successful self-titled debut album four years later.
The band went on to sell millions of albums globally, find mainstream US chart success and win a Grammy award.
Slipknot is best known for a unique aggressive music style and wearing horror-style masks while performing.
Jordison remained a part of the group until 2013. In later years, he revealed he left after being diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a form of multiple sclerosis.
Born Nathan Jonas Jordison in 1975 in Des Moines, Iowa, Jordison said he was given his first drum kit by his parents aged eight.
He grew up playing music and eventually joined a project named the Pale Ones in 1995, which would eventually become Slipknot.
Joey Jordison formed and found success with other bands, including Murderdolls, and later performed with other well-known acts like Metallica, Korn and Rob Zombie.
His death comes just over a decade after that of fellow founding member Paul Gray, who died of a drug overdose in 2010.
Fans and fellow musicians paid tribute on social media following news of Jordison’s death.
Serj Tankian, from System of a Down, described him as an “amazing drummer and a fantastic guy”.
Corey Taylor, Slipknot’s lead vocalist, posted black images to his social media accounts after news of Jordison’s death broke.
