After more than two decades of redefining the heavy metal scene, a member of Slipknot revealed a heartbreaking announcement concerning his health.
Celebrated for the band’s nu-metal sound and aggressive, high-intensity live performances, the group celebrated its 25th anniversary with the Here Comes the Pain Tour in 2025.
However, following a string of successful shows, percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan shared how their jam-packed touring schedule has taken a toll on his health.
During his guest appearance on the podcast Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin, Slipknot’s longtime member shared that doctors advised him he needed heart surgery.
“I have a skipping heart and I got to get surgery,” he revealed on the show, as cited by Blunt Magazine. “And I found this out after my last tour.”
Katja Ogrin/Redferns via Getty Images
Clown detailed the journey he went through and what prompted him to seek help.
“I went in, I wasn’t feeling good, and I went in and the nurse was trying to get an EKG thing going on and it just wasn’t happening,” the musician explained, adding, “I kind of fell asleep and I woke up. I’m like, “Are you going to get this thing?” And she’s like, “Oh, it’s not working.” They thought I was having a heart attack right there. My heart skips and apparently I’ve taught myself to be like a cross-country runner.”
The 56-year-old band member and one of the founders of the iconic metal group talked about how dangerously low his heart rate can become due to his condition.
“I’m overweight and my brain is so strong that it tells this stuff what to do,” he shared. “My standing heart rate at night is 43 and during the day I get down to 33.’
Crahan continued, expressing his plans to undergo the surgery and made a lighthearted joke that he would still be playing with the band once the recovery period was over.
“I got to get a surgery. It’s a very easy surgery,” the percussionist furthered. “You’re usually out on the same day. It’s not like they rip you open. This is something about the electricity. I just I lost it. I was like, I can’t get out of this to save my life,’ he laughed. ‘I’m like, there is nothing, not even my heart. It’s going to be better because of Slipknot.’
Besides Clown, a few Slipknot members have also faced health problems, including late drummer Joey Jordison, who suffered from transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition.
Related: Iconic ’70s Rocker Has Personal Update Amid Health Issues