The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars (390 page)

Monday 24

Steve New/Stella Nova

(Paddington, London, 16 May 1960)

The Rich Kids

Beastellabeast

(Various acts)

Steve New was yet another rock guitarist whose early leanings suggested a very different musical path: at fourteen, the already eclectic stylist was playing with The London Jazz Orchestra. However, a year later, New was ensconced in the UK’s growing punk movement. The increasingly flamboyant musician befriended many young scenesters and even auditioned to play as second guitarist with the Sex Pistols in 1975.

Glen Matlock’s unceremonious sacking from the punk figureheads saw the former Pistols bassist invite New to join his next project, The Rich Kids, along with Midge Ure (guitar) and Rusty Egan (drums)–both formerly of Scots teen-bait Slik. A new wave/powerpop unit, Rich Kids reaped many column inches in the music press and appeared to be at the forefront of a burgeoning scene themselves. However, after a first hit, ‘Rich Kids’ (1978, UK Top Forty), the band weren’t able to sustain sufficient commercial interest and had split by mid-1979 (Ure, of course, moving on to Ultravox and then Band Aid). New found much employ for his craft, playing sessions and gigs with Iggy Pop, Sid Vicious, Public Image Ltd and Chrissie Hynde.

In later years, New–now ‘out’ as a transvestite–preferred to be known by his alter ego Stella Nova, forming entertaining cult act Beastellabeast with singer Beatrice Brown. Steve New/Stella Nova had been fighting cancer for some years before re-emerging with the other Rich Kids for a benefit gig in early 2010–by which time he knew that his condition was terminal. The musician died just a week after his fiftieth birthday; Matlock dedicated a solo album to his late friend’s memory.

See also
Sid Vicious (
February 1979)

Paul Gray

(Los Angeles, California, 8 April 1972)

Slipknot

(Various acts)

The same day, the next generation of alternativerock fans were mourning the loss of one of their own figureheads: Paul Gray–left-handed bassist and songwriter with iconic US extreme-rockers Slipknot–was found dead in a hotel room in the band’s home state of Iowa.

Having moved from California to Des Moines, Gray graduated from intriguingly named metal bands such as VeXX, Anal Blast and Body Pit to a new set-up, The Pale Ones, with drummer Shawn Crahan in summer 1995. The duo fleshed out a line-up that was to became the first incarnation of Slipknot by the end of winter. Four years on, the band had honed their uniquely devolved sound and image and were the hottest ticket in underground metal. (Despite their emergence at the same time, Slipknot have always distanced themselves from the nu-metal scene and it’s pretty indisputable that the band share more in sound and content with a band like Pantera than they do with Limp Bizkit.)

But, wherever one stands regarding their music and lyrics (which, particularly at that stage, were brutal and misanthropic), Slipknot have remained conceptually outstanding, members ‘numbering’ themselves as well as adopting jumpsuits, grotesque masks and nicknames in lieu of human identities. The line-up since 1999 has been expansive, although most fans (themselves known as ‘maggots’) would probably cite the classic roster as: Sid Wilson (decks–#0); Joey Jordison (drums–#1); Paul Gray (bass–#2/The Pig); Chris Fehn (vocals/percussion–#3); James Root (guitars–#4); Craig Jones (samples–#5/133); Shawn Crahan (percussion/vocals–#6/The Clown); Mick Thomson (guitars–#7); Corey Taylor (lead vocal–#8). And beyond the personnel, the live show was even more transfixing, Slipknot using pyrotechnics, hydraulics and computers, while performers tended to slug it out with each other during songs. With Slipknot receiving an overwhelming reception for their darkly creative (destructive?) work onstage, the group’s recordings started flying off the shelves. The stark 2001 release
Iowa
–remarkably–topped the UK chart and went platinum at home, while 2004’s ‘Before I Forget’ put the band in the frankly surreal position of accepting a Grammy. By now, Gray’s ‘pig’ mask had been adapted into a more disturbing Hannibal Lecter-inspired design.

In 2003, the bassist, who had a history of alcohol and drug issues, was stopped for running a red light and hitting another vehicle. Although no one was injured, Gray was found intoxicated and in possession of narcotics: however, those around the band were more disturbed by the fact that his mugshot had leaked onto the web, Gray becoming the first member of Slipknot (quite literally) to allow his mask to ‘slip’. This among other problems saw some conflict within the group, Slipknot having taken more than one hiatus during their career. It had little negative impact on the group’s success, however, which culminated with another number-one album
All Hope Is Gone
(2008)–a record that cemented Slipknot’s astonishing, self-made position by placing Top Five in a dozen international markets. It was, sadly, the last recorded contribution Gray was to make.

Paul Gray was found dead in Room 431 of the Towneplace Suites hotel in Urbandale. While his cause of death was not initially known, an autopsy showed that the bass player had ingested a lethal combination of morphine and fentanyl (a contrasting pain-relief prescription)–and that he was suffering ‘significant’ heart disease. The band were quick to pay tribute to a man known within the industry as thoughtful and caring, despite his uncompromising public image.

Gray’s impressive slap-bass style saw him record with a number of other acts, including the ‘supergroup’ Hail! (with members of Judas Priest and Sepultura), with whom he was working at the time of passing. Slipknot–who have shifted over twenty million units worldwide– continue to record.

‘Slipknot is my life.’

Paul Gray

Sunday 30

Ali ‘Ollie’ Woodson

(Ollie Creggett–Detroit, Michigan, 12 September 1951)

The Temptations

The (Original) Drifters

Born in Michigan but raised in Town Creek, Alabama, Ali ‘Ollie’ Woodson was an accomplished keyboardist as well as a powerful lead vocalist. The young Woodson played behind Bill Pinkney’s revived Original Drifters in the early seventies before finding himself ‘promoted’ to a vocal role.

This experience stood Woodson in good stead for a place fronting The Temptations by the early eighties, which became his upon the departure of Dennis Edwards. The musician did more than just sing lead with the Motown superstars, however. Woodson also wrote and produced ‘Treat Her Like a Lady’, The Temps’ last major hit of note (1984, US R & B number two; UK Top Twenty). Always a popular member of the touring group, Woodson saw three tenures with The Temptations, leaving in 1986 before returning two years later, and finally stepping in for the detained Bo Henderson in 2002.

‘Ollie’ Woodson had been battling leukaemia for eighteen months before his death. Despite initial positive responses to treatment, the singer and musician died while at a hospital in Los Angeles. He is survived by six children.

See also
Paul Williams (
August 1973); Elbridge Al Bryant (
October 1975); David Ruffin (
June 1991); Eddie Kendrick(s) (
October 1992);Melvin Franklin (
February 1995); Bill Pinkney (
Golden Oldies #51).