"I’ll go from on, to just straight up I feel like I’m dying." Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan needs heart surgery

 Shawn Crahan of Slipknot performs at The O2 Arena on December 20, 2024 in London, England.
(Image credit: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

Slipknot percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan has revealed that he needs surgery to correct a skipping heart beat.

Crahan, 56, says he discovered the problem after the band's 2025 tour and that at times it leaves him feeling like he is "dying".

He tells Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin: "I have a skipping heart and I got to get a surgery. And I found this out after my last tour.

Latest Videos From Louder

"I wasn’t feeling good, and I went in and the nurse was trying to get an EKG thing going on me or whatever and it just wasn't happening.

"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."

He continues: "It hasn’t happened since I’ve been here with you, which is good, because I’ll go from ‘on,’ to just straight up I feel like I’m dying."

Crahan adds that he is grateful that the surgery is a relatively straightforward procedure.

"It’s a very easy surgery," he explains. "You’re usually out on the same day. It’s not like they rip you open. This is something about the electricity.

"But at first, they thought maybe I needed a pacemaker. And I was like, ‘Doc, listen, I get a pacemaker. I’m done, right? Touring, Slipknot?’

"So he goes, ‘Oh, no. You’re going to feel better. You better get in shape because you got to do more now at 56.’

"And it’s just like I just can’t believe it, man, that this was me. It’s wonderful. I’m lucky."

Clown of Slipknot - YouTube Clown of Slipknot - YouTube
Watch On

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.