It's hard to believe that it's been almost 10 months since the death of Slipknot Bassist Paul Gray. Today, the band announced the touring bassist for this summer's festival shows.

According to Slipknot1.com:

For their upcoming shows in 2011, Slipknot has asked Donnie Steele to fill in for Paul Gray on bass. Donnie, as some may recall, was the original guitar player in Slipknot and had actually reconnected with Paul in recent years. Said the band on their decision, “Donnie was in the band at the very beginning, and rather than get an outsider, we thought it would be a fitting tribute to Paul to play with someone from within the family. Donnie was great friends with Paul and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate his memory than with someone who was there with us at the very beginning. The eight of us are looking forward to being onstage again and honoring Paul’s legacy with our families in Europe and Brazil this summer.”

Im glad I was able to go see Slipknot a few times before the tragic loss of Gray. Not only at Ozzfest in the early 2000's and the inaugural Mayhem Fest, but also at the Toyota Center in Kennewick in 2009. That was one hell of a show! Were you there?

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