SLIPKNOT turntablist SID WILSON has paid an emotional tribute to the band's late founding drummer JOEY JORDISON, calling him "the best that ever did it, hands down" in a recent interview with Get On The Bus.
Jordison, who died in July 2021 at the age of 46, is widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of heavy metal. His technical precision, ferocious speed, and sheer creative force were central to SLIPKNOT's signature sound from the band's inception in Des Moines, Iowa in 1995 through their landmark debut and its ferocious follow-ups.
"He could hear anyone's music once and could play it," Wilson recalled, describing Jordison's almost supernatural ability to absorb and reproduce complex rhythms instantly. This gift made him not just a powerful force behind the kit but an invaluable creative collaborator who shaped countless SLIPKNOT arrangements from the ground up.
The relationship between Jordison and the band came to a painful end in December 2013, when SLIPKNOT announced the split without public explanation. It was later revealed that Jordison had been secretly battling acute transverse myelitis — a debilitating spinal cord condition that severely impacted his ability to play. He overcame it and continued performing, but his time with SLIPKNOT was over.
Current SLIPKNOT drummer ELOY CASAGRANDE has been widely praised by fans and bandmates alike. But Wilson's words make clear that Jordison's legacy is irreplaceable — and that his former bandmates remember him with deep respect and enduring love.