Wife: PAUL GRAY 'Wasn't Just A Drug Addict'

Brenna Gray, the widow of SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray, has paid tribute to her late husband in the new issue of Revolver magazine, which remembers many of hard rock and metal's most dearly departed.

Paul Gray's body was found on May 24 in a hotel room in a Des Moines, Iowa suburb. A coroner ruled that the 38-year-old musician died of an accidental overdose of morphine.

"I don't want people to judge him for the mistake that he made," Brenna told the magazine. "He wasn't just a drug addict. That was a little part of his life that he couldn't overcome," she explained.

"He was a great guy, a great musician, a great husband, a great friend, a great brother, a great son. And I just want people to know that."

Brenna went on to reveal that she hopes to help others learn from the tragedy via advocacy work.

"I've been working with the organization MusiCares, and if they can get my story out there, as hard as it is to tell... if one person can save their life with my husband losing his, that's what matters," she said.

Brenna Gray gave birth to Paul Gray's first and only child, a baby daughter named October Dedrick Gray, on August 17.

The cover of the new issue of Revolver magazine features a stunning painting by legendary comic-book artist J.G. Jones (Superman, Batman, Wanted). Jones depicts Ronnie James Dio, SLIPKNOT's Paul Gray, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's The Rev, TYPE O NEGATIVE's Peter Steele, PANTERA's Dimebag Darrell, METALLICA's Cliff Burton, NIRVANA's Kurt Cobain, OZZY OSBOURNE's Randy Rhoads, QUEEN's Freddie Mercury, and ALICE IN CHAINS' Layne Staley rocking together in heaven. The cover painting also appears as a free poster with the issue.

Inside the issue, Revolver remembers the cover artists and many of hard rock and metal's other fallen heroes via exclusive interviews with members of SLIPKNOT and TYPE O NEGATIVE, Dio's wife and manager Wendy Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows, JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford, ALICE IN CHAINS' Mike Inez, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's Zakk Wylde, RAMONES' Marky Ramone, MELVINS' Buzz Osborne, rapper Ice-T, and more.

As a tie-in to the issue and a special tribute to PANTERA's Dimebag Darrell, Revolver has produced a highly limited-edition commemorative coin in his honor. The coin comes free with the magazine when purchased at Barnes & Noble. Otherwise, it is available with the issue and an antiqued metal coin holder at this location, where a portion of the sale proceeds will go to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.

SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison said last month that he and other members of the eight-piece band were already separately recording demos of new material, which he hoped to begin recording sometime in early 2011.

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor has maintained for months that he has no desire at this point to make a new record without Paul Gray.

Taylor and SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root have been on the road with their other band, STONE SOUR, since early summer.

Jordison has toured with ROB ZOMBIE and recorded a new album with his band MURDERDOLLS, although that group recently canceled a tour.