# Chris Fehn
**Chris Fehn** is an American percussionist best known as a member of the heavy metal band Slipknot from 1998 to 2019, where he performed as percussionist and backing vocalist under the number 3 and a long-nosed Pinocchio-style mask[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2000/02/06/slipknot-metals-bad-noose-bearers/bbab43ce-5974-423f-9f33-2a1df33cecce/) • [2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/). His tenure ended in a lawsuit over pay that was discontinued in 2020, and he was replaced in the band by Michael Pfaff[3](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role in Slipknot | Percussionist and backing vocalist, member number 3, from 1998 to early 2019[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/) |
| Stage identity | Wore a long-nosed Pinocchio disguise as part of the band's masked, numbered lineup[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2000/02/06/slipknot-metals-bad-noose-bearers/bbab43ce-5974-423f-9f33-2a1df33cecce/) |
| Recordings | Appeared on Slipknot albums through *\.5: The Gray Chapter* (2014)[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/) |
| Departure | Filed a compensation lawsuit in March 2019; the case was voluntarily discontinued in October 2020[4](https://legalclarity.org/chris-fehns-lawsuit-against-slipknot-what-happened/) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026) |
| Replacement | Michael Pfaff, nicknamed "Tortilla Man" by fans, took over the percussion spot beginning in May 2019[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/) • [5](https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/slipknot-finally-confirm-identity-mysterious-tortilla-man-13099/) |
## Role in Slipknot
Slipknot formed in [Des Moines, Iowa](https://www.edgepedia.org/des-moines-iowa), in late 1995, and after early personnel changes settled on a nine-piece lineup in which Fehn, as one of two percussionists alongside Shawn "Clown" Crahan, held the number 3 position[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/slipknot-mn0000750742). He joined in 1998, filling a percussion and backing-vocal role that had earlier been held by original vocalist [Anders Colsefni](https://www.edgepedia.org/anders-colsefni) before [Corey Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/corey-taylor) took over as lead singer[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/). The band's self-titled debut album, released on Roadrunner Records on June 29, 1999, listed Fehn among its two percussionists[7](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/mick-thomson-reflects-on-slipknots-wait-and-bleed).
On stage, Fehn shared the percussion duties with Crahan, playing custom percussion and providing backing vocals. A 2000 Washington Post profile described his mask as "a long-nosed Pinocchio disguise," one of the assorted masks and matching coveralls that defined the band's image[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2000/02/06/slipknot-metals-bad-noose-bearers/bbab43ce-5974-423f-9f33-2a1df33cecce/). In interviews he described his role in performance terms: in a 2015 interview before a London concert he said the band's songs "still mean something" to him and that he wanted fans to leave shows having "exorcised some demons"[8](https://blabbermouth.net/news/slipknots-chris-fehn-our-songs-still-mean-something-to-me).
His studio presence was narrower than his live role. He appeared on the band's albums through *\.5: The Gray Chapter* in 2014, and in a 2026 interview he described fitting his percussion parts around the drumming of founding drummer [Joey Jordison](https://www.edgepedia.org/joey-jordison), calling it "very intimidating to be a percussionist with Joey Jordison" and Jordison "a phenomenon"[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026). Outside Slipknot, he kept a lower profile than bandmates with side projects; a 2004 Q&A mentioned his hobby band and a side project called Thunderbolt Gasoline, with Aaron Peltz of On A Pale Horse and others, which had recorded an eight-song demo[9](https://www.mfkr1.com/online/2004-chris-fehn-qa/).
## Departure and lawsuit
**The lawsuit.** On March 13, 2019, Fehn filed a 14-page complaint in the [New York Supreme Court](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-supreme-court), index number 651539/2019, against vocalist Corey Taylor, percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan, manager Robert Shore, Rob Shore & Associates Inc., and six Slipknot-related business entities[4](https://legalclarity.org/chris-fehns-lawsuit-against-slipknot-what-happened/). The suit alleged that Fehn had been cut out of profits funneled through multiple Slipknot-affiliated companies he said he never knew existed, and that he was receiving less money than his bandmates as a result[4](https://legalclarity.org/chris-fehns-lawsuit-against-slipknot-what-happened/) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026).
The litigation spent more than a year winding through New York's court system, and in late 2020 the two sides agreed to a settlement whose terms were kept confidential; that October, the lawsuit was voluntarily dropped.[4](https://legalclarity.org/chris-fehns-lawsuit-against-slipknot-what-happened/) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026)
**The replacement.** The band did not initially name Fehn's successor, and fans nicknamed the new percussionist "Tortilla Man" for the color and texture of his mask[5](https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/slipknot-finally-confirm-identity-mysterious-tortilla-man-13099/). Michael Pfaff, who had previously played in Crahan's alt-rock band Dirty Little Rabbits, joined the touring lineup beginning in May 2019, and the band later publicly confirmed his identity[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/) • [10](https://www.revolvermag.com/music/slipknot-reveal-identity-tortilla-man).
## After Slipknot
Fehn has stayed out of the public eye relative to his time in the band. In a June 23, 2026, interview with Meltdown on Detroit's WRIF radio station, the 53-year-old paid tribute to Joey Jordison, who co-founded Slipknot and died in 2021 at 46, saying "I miss that dude a ton" and praising Jordison's combination of power and technique[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026). On his own future, he said he is content to stay off the road, citing physical injuries and his responsibilities as a father as reasons he has stepped back from professional performance[2](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/).
## References
1. [Slipknot: Metal's Bad Noose Bearers, The Washington Post (February 2000)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2000/02/06/slipknot-metals-bad-noose-bearers/bbab43ce-5974-423f-9f33-2a1df33cecce/)
2. [Ex-Slipknot Percussionist Chris Fehn on Late Drummer Joey Jordison, The MetalList (June 2026)](https://themetallist.com/en/news/2026/06/chris-fehn-on-joey-jordison-i-miss-that-dude-a-ton/)
3. [Former Slipknot member Chris Fehn remembers late bandmate Joey Jordison, Louder (2026)](https://www.loudersound.com/news/slipknot-chris-fehn-remembers-joey-jordison-2026)
4. [Chris Fehn's Lawsuit Against Slipknot: What Happened, LegalClarity (2026)](https://legalclarity.org/chris-fehns-lawsuit-against-slipknot-what-happened/)
5. [Slipknot finally confirm identity of mysterious Tortilla Man, Rolling Stone UK](https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/slipknot-finally-confirm-identity-mysterious-tortilla-man-13099/)
6. [Slipknot Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/slipknot-mn0000750742)
7. [Mick Thomson reflects on Slipknot's Wait and Bleed, Guitar World (2026)](https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/mick-thomson-reflects-on-slipknots-wait-and-bleed)
8. [Slipknot's Chris Fehn: Our Songs 'Still Mean Something To Me', Blabbermouth.net (February 2015)](https://blabbermouth.net/news/slipknots-chris-fehn-our-songs-still-mean-something-to-me)
9. [2004 – Chris Fehn Q&A, MFKR1](https://www.mfkr1.com/online/2004-chris-fehn-qa/)
10. [Slipknot Reveal Identity of Tortilla Man, Revolver](https://www.revolvermag.com/music/slipknot-reveal-identity-tortilla-man)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Hard rock and glam metal › Hard rock drummers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license