This is hard. Today marks one year since Joey left us. 

Our wounds from losing him are still very fresh. Our hearts are broken and the pain is constant. We will carry our scars forever. 

Today, we remember Joey, the musician, artist, jokester, son, brother, uncle and friend to many.

To describe Joey as an inspiration is an understatement. His life was short, but his impact was significant. He made such a difference to so many people and his reach extended far beyond aspiring drummers and musicians. Joey met and worked with a lot of people throughout his career, including not only people in the entertainment industry, but people from all walks of life. He captivated everyone around him with his genius talent, charm and humor. If you had the fortune of meeting him, you remember how he made you feel. You wanted to be around him. His personality was infectious. He was kind and sensitive and had a way of making you feel important. 

We will forever miss his voice, his laugh, and goofy sense of humor. If you knew Joey, you remember the wise cracks, practical jokes, impromptu skits (that just HAD to be recorded), his amazing talent for quoting his favorite movies in their entirety and, of course, his ridiculous, made-up one-liners and catch phrases that were so contagious, they left anyone that spent more than five minutes with him spouting his silly non-sense randomly.

“Croooooows.” “Let’s deuce!” “I need THIS!” “Dragon!” 

Then, of course, there was the music. Joey lived in music and music lived in Joey. Joey had notes and chords playing in his head 24/7. When out in public, he would pick beats and rhythms out of his surroundings and just start singing. Or drumming. He had an innate ability to write songs on the spot. And, they were actually good songs. Catchy songs. The kind of songs that would get stuck in your head for days or wake you from a dead sleep in the middle of the night. 

These are the things we will miss the most.

Many of you were used to seeing Joey on stage or in magazines. How magnificent and mesmerizing he was to watch when he was doing what he loved most-making music and performing for his fans. If you are reading this and you are a fan, please know this: JOEY LOVED YOU. He wanted nothing more than to make you happy. He really tried. You mattered to him more than anything. He talked about you all the time. He cared so much about what you thought of him and he always did his best to express his appreciation. He credited his whole career to you. 

Joey’s family has decided to share the video we put together for his memorial. It shows him as a brilliant musician, as well as the amazing human he was to us. We wanted to share it with the people that mattered to Joey most: his fans.

The songs that accompany the photos in this video include some of Joey’s favorites. He referenced these songs in many of the interviews he gave over the course of his career when asked about the songs and artists that played a part in shaping him as a musician. One that hits hardest is Led Zeppelin’s, “In My Time of Dying”, named by Joey as the song he wanted played at his funeral.

“This one definitely fits the funeral mood. It’s beautiful and chilling, and it’s definitely a good one to sleep to. Led Zeppelin were another band that were huge for me when I was younger. One of the first records I ever got was In Through the Out Door, and that record still blows my mind. In fact, if anyone wanted to pick a Zeppelin track to play at my funeral, I’d be alright with that. Knowing I was going out to that kind of soundtrack would be just fine with me.” – Dan Slessor. “Joey Jordison: The 10 songs that changed my life.” Kerrang Magazine, 26th Apr. 2021

In “Leader of the Band”, Dan Fogelberg says it perfectly:

The leader of the band is tired

And his eyes are growing old

But his blood runs through

My instrument

And his song is in my soul

My life has been a poor attempt

To imitate the man

I’m just a living legacy 

To the leader of the band

As Joey’s fans, you are his living legacy. He has left it up to you to tell the stories. To share the music. To do whatever you can to keep his memory alive. Joey’s family have ideas and plans to do the same and we promise to keep you all updated as we move forward. 

We hope you enjoy this video. This one’s for the fans. 

RIP Joey - Forever Our #1

Song List:

The Spinners – “The Rubberband Man”

KISS – “100,000 Years”

AC/DC – “For Those About to Rock”

Slipknot – “(Sic)”

Dan Fogelberg – “Leader of the Band”

Led Zeppelin – “In My Time of Dying”

*All photos are from Joey and his family’s personal collections.