Slipknot had an unlikely connection to late country legend Dolly Parton: they had the same manager.
Danny Nozell is a music industry veteran that served as Parton’s manager for over two decades from 2005 until her death this past August. He owns CTK Enterprises, which also works with Megadeth (Dave Mustaine‘s son Justis Mustaine is their manager), as well as the film company NOZ Entertainment and private jet broker Nash Aviation.
When Did Danny Nozell Work With Slipknot?
According to the CTK Enterprises site, Nozell began working in the music business as a runner when he was fresh out of college. After launching a successful furniture rental company, which rented out furniture to dressing rooms for major touring artists including The Rolling Stones, Nozell met Slipknot’s Chris Fehn.
He eventually started working with Slipknot as their tour manager and tour accountant in 1997, which later led to him accepting a position on the band’s management team. He worked with the Iowan band on and off until 2004 and thus toured with them through their Slipknot and Iowa eras, along with 85 other staff members.
Part of Nozell’s many responsibilities while working with Slipknot was helping them keep their identities hidden.
“Their tour manager, Danny, was stopping people from taking photos of the band without their masks on in the venue,” Kill II This guitarist Mark Mynett told Metal Hammer in an interview reflecting on Slipknot’s early career.
READ MORE: Are Slipknot an 8-Piece Band Now?
Though Nozell’s tenure with Slipknot ended in 2004, late drummer Joey Jordison said in a 2017 interview with Cryptic Rock that he’d been working with him again.
“These guys are a big part of my life and they have been a big part of my life since I started,” the drummer praised of their partnership.
What Did Nozell Say About Working With Slipknot?
Nozell credits his time with Slipknot as having helped shape his experience in the industry and refine his touring methods and other business practices.
“That gave me an education that money could never buy. You got nine guys and two crew, me as the tour manager and tour accountant, going out [and] doing very small clubs. We went from a very small amount to they’re getting millions of dollars a festival. I was along for the ride — I started in [1997] when they were rehearsing in Sid [Wilson’s] basement in Iowa,” Nozell told the Promoter 101 podcast.
“I saw them go from clubs to stadiums and I knew there was something different. I knew that there was something that nobody else had. I really watched the rise and was able to educate myself by touring the world.”
Nozell’s Restraining Order Against Dolly Parton’s Nephew
Nozell filed a restraining order against Parton’s nephew and longtime head of security Bryan Seaver earlier this week in Nashville after alleging that Seaver had been sending threats to Parton’s managers to try and get money, according to Taste of Country.
The judge granted the request, ordering Seaver to stay nearly a quarter-mile away from anyone who’s worked on Parton’s management team.
See the evolution of Slipknot’s masks through the years in the gallery below.
The Evolution of Slipknot’s Terrifying Masks
Check out this gallery of photos showing how the members of Slipknot’s masks have changed over the years with each album cycle.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
