Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has tested positive for COVID-19, in spite of getting fully vaccinated against the virus. Taylor spoke directly to fans on social media on Friday, saying that he feels “very, very sick.” He apologized to those who were looking forward to meeting him at upcoming concerts and events.
“I wish I had better news. I woke up today and tested positive, and I’m very, very sick,” Taylor said in a video posted on Facebook. “So I’m not going to be able to make it this weekend. And I am absolutely devastated. I am so sorry. I hope everyone has a good time, and I promise you I will absolutely try to get back there as soon as I can. I should be okay — it [feels like] the flu. I’m vaccinated, so I’m not worried. But I certainly wouldn’t want to spread it to anyone else. So, everybody be safe out there. And thank you so much. And I will see you again, I promise.”
The video was posted on the Facebook page for Astronomicon, a pop culture convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Taylor was meant to attend, but commenters noted that he had a raspy voice in the video, and he sounded a bit congested.
Of course, commenters also argued about the vaccine itself and the reason for the resurgence in the novel coronavirus in some parts of the country. Taylor himself has been vocal and vehement in his support of vaccinations, and he believes the issue has been overly politicized to the point where Americans have lost track of the facts and the real point of the vaccine.
“People act like getting a vaccine is signing a deal with the devil,” He told Consequences of Sound in a recent interview. “It’s been so politicized and spun out of control in these conspiratorial echo chambers that people forget that you can go find all the info you want online to educate yourself about everything about these vaccines. The fact that [vaccines] have been demonized, almost to the point of these gnarly conspiracy theories, no wonder why people are afraid of it — because they’re listening to the wrong people.”
Taylor has been out on a solo tour playing Slipknot songs, cover songs and original material. He is currently scheduled to start a Slipknot tour in late September, at which point he will presumably be healthy and equipped with new antibodies. However, concerns about COVID-19 surges around the country are calling many public events into question. Check the CDC’s website for the latest updates and resources for your area.