Joey Jordison, co-founder and original drummer of the NU Metal band Slipknot, has died, according to a statement from his family. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, although the statement says he died “peacefully in his sleep.” He was 46.

“We are heartbroken to share the news that Joey Jordison, prolific drummer, musician, and artist passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 26, 2021. He was 46,” the statement reads. “Joey’s death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow. To those that knew Joey, understood his quick wit, his gentle personality, giant heart, and his love for all things family and music. The family of Joey has asked that friends, fans, and media understandably respect our need for privacy and peace at this incredibly difficult time. The family will hold a private funeral service and asks the media and public to respect their wishes.”

With Slipknot, Jordison performed on four studio albums and produced the live album ‘9.0: Live’. Outside his major projects, Jordison performed with other metal groups such as Rob Zombie, Metallica, Korn, Ministry, Otep, and Satyricon. Jordison was also known for his session work, which includes performances on many albums for many artists. Jordison used several drum brands including Pearl and ddrum. Before his death, he was playing for the band Sinsaenum.

In a January 2018 interview (later published in the March 2018 edition of Rhythm magazine) Jordison talked about suffering from acute transverse myelitis with symptoms starting in 2010, but not being diagnosed for a long time. This progressed to the loss of use of his left leg. The neurological disease had temporarily cost him the use of his legs and caused him to be unable to play the drums before rehabilitation. He recovered with the aid of medical help and intensive work in the gym.

RIP