Michael Shawn Crahan (born September 24, 1969), more commonly known by his stage persona "Clown", is an American musician. He is the co-founder and one of two percussionists for heavy metal band Slipknot in which he is designated #6. Crahan helped found Slipknot in 1995 along with Paul Gray and Joey Jordison. As of 2022, Crahan is the only remaining founding member of Slipknot.
Crahan is the longest-serving member of Slipknot, performing with the band since its formation in 1995, Crahan also has extensive involvement with Slipknot's media production and music videos. Outside Slipknot, Crahan had two side project bands called To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits. Aside from his musical activity, he also directed the 2016 action thriller film Officer Downe.
In college, Crahan majored in Creative Writing.[citation needed] He performed in bands such as Heads on the Wall and One Cup of Fat before forming The Pale Ones, which would later become known as Slipknot. Crahan married his wife Chantel in June 1993, in Des Moines, Iowa. They had four children together: Alexandria, Gage, Gabrielle, and Simon. Crahan is also a filmographer and photographer, having published a Slipknot photo album "The Apocalyptic Nightmare" in 2012. In 2012, he also made his debut acting appearance in the film The Devil's Carnival. He is also a collector of baseball cards. He is a smoker and has been willing to break the law to smoke inside venues along with other members of Slipknot, even when subject to a significant fine.

Return to Shawn Crahan Autograph Profile