Slipknot rocker Sid Wilson details fiery explosion that 'melted' his face, burned his arms
Rocker Sid Wilson is going to be looking a little different after badly burning his face last week.
The Slipknot DJ and keyboard player singed off his eyebrows and "melted" much of his skin after a bonfire exploded while he was working on his farm. He said he isn't expecting to need surgery or skin grafts to deal with the wounds but isn't yet sure how he will don the heavy metal band's iconic face masks and costumes during its ongoing tour.
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According to Slipknot's website, the band is scheduled to play a show on Sunday in Pryor, Okla., and he vowed to return to the stage despite his wounds.
The 47-year-old has been chronicling his gruesome recovery on Instagram, first describing the injuries Friday while hooked up to various medical devices at a medical facility where medical professionals dressed his wounds and took his health history. He said he had "serious burns" to his face and arms and that the incident had singed his eyebrows and blistered his mouth.
"I'm allergic to fire apparently," he said in an Aug. 23 video, accompanied by girlfriend Kelly Osbourne, who has been helping nurse his wounds. In the videos, the TV personality, who is the daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, applied various salves and bandages to Wilson's injuries, gave him a sponge bath and helped remove burnt skin from his face.
Wilson continued to post additional updates in an Instagram Live, reassuring fans that he would be OK while being transferred to a better burn facility. He eventually returned home and likened his swollen appearance to "cheap Botox." He said he thought he would have to shave his head.
Speaking Wednesday with Fox Digital News, Wilson cautioned: "Don't f— around with fire. It’s going to win every time."
He said his whole right arm and half of his left arm are bandaged and that his face "is basically melted from nose down." But the swelling and pain has subsided. While he has "had better days," he appeared grateful to be alive and said he's "doing good."
The musician told the outlet that the explosion occurred after he had been working with a wood burn pile on his farm in Iowa, where he lives with Osbourne and their 1-year-old son, Sidney.
"A few nights ago, I lit it and let it burn down," he said. "So, the next day, I went to check it to see, you know, how much was left, if anything. And there was a certain amount of debris around the side still left, so I, like a dummy, [did] what I'm not supposed to do, but I added some gas to it."
And his "lack of patience got the better" of him. Instead of of keeping his distance from the pile, he squatted, reached out and lit it.
"It just … woof. Exploded," he said.
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He and his family drove to the nearest urgent care center and Wilson later had to be transported to a larger hospital in Des Moines, a journey that he recorded on Instagram. His memory got "hazy" after that because he was given pain medication. Osbourne told Fox that he was transferred to a burn unit in Iowa City, about two hours from Des Moines, and spent one night there before returning home, where she has been serving as his caregiver.
"I’m not going to let it get me depressed," Wilson said. "The hardest part is just feeling stupid for doing it. ... It’s not even the physical part. It's like going, like, ‘Oh, man, I really learned that the hard way.’ I’ve got to make sure I just slow down sometimes and really examine the situation before I just dive in headfirst."
Wilson apparently is no stranger to performing through injuries. He boasted about previously touring with two broken heels, which he injured after jumping on a concrete stage on the first show of the tour.
"I finished the show for 45 minutes, on my feet, and then finished the tour in a wheelchair."
On Tuesday, Osbourne posted Instagram stories showing Wilson's first visit to a nail spa and used a number of filters to alter his appearance.
In another clip, she said she was proud of him for putting himself together so they could go out. But when she told him he looked nice, he laughed at her. She followed that up with more content showing herself tending to his open wounds.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
