Slipknot’s M. Shawn Crahan Reveals He Needs Heart Surgery

Slipknot’s M. Shawn Crahan says he will need heart surgery after being diagnosed with a cardiac condition following the metal band’s recent tour.

The 56-year-old percussionist, better known as Clown, shared the news during an appearance on Rick Rubin’s Tetragrammaton podcast, which was posted to YouTube on May 7.

In the wide-ranging interview, Crahan — Slipknot’s sole remaining founding member — explained that he sought medical attention after not feeling well following the tour, where doctors discovered an issue with his heart’s electrical system.

“I have a skipping heart and I got to get a surgery,” Crahan told Rubin. “I found this out after my last tour. 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. 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 musician said the condition affects his heart rate significantly, describing sudden drops that leave him feeling unwell.

“I’m overweight and my brain is so strong that it tells this stuff what to do,” he continued. “My standing heart rate at night is 43 and during the day I get down to 33. 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. I got to get a surgery. It’s a very easy surgery. You’re usually out on the same day. It’s not like they rip you open. This is something about the electricity.”

Clown also recalled briefly thinking he might need a pacemaker, joking that it could have been an easy way out of touring, but said his doctor instead told him it would likely improve his condition.

“I just I lost it. I was like, I can’t get out of this to save my life,” Crahan joked. “I’m like, there is nothing, not even my heart. It’s going to be better because of Slipknot.”

The percussionist added that he now has access to specialized medical care due to his career, and said doctors expect him to improve with treatment.

“I got a concierge doctor because I’m in Slipknot and I’m able to go to levels and they’re like, ‘No, you’re going to feel better. You better get in shape because you got to do more now at 56,’” he said. “And it’s just like I just can’t believe it, man, that this was me. It’s wonderful. I’m lucky.”

Check out Crahan full interview on Rubin’s Tetragrammaton podcast below.