We celebrate Layne and his legacy with Alice in Chains by remembering 10 of his greatest moments. When he's not writing, he's probably wondering how Frank Dux got 52 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. Mon 5th Apr 2021 13.00 BST. ", However, like many of the things that seemed to make him happy, video games became an escape for Staley, a way to put his mind to something that didn't wear too hard on his emotions. According to Alice in Chains: The Untold Story, it was love at first sight. He was part of one of the most influential bands to come out of Seattle during the early 90s, Alice in Chains. Hes the reason I started singing. Therefore, it seems only natural that Sully Erna has covered AiC at other concerts. Alice In Chains' late leader Layne Staley tragically lost his fight against addiction on April 5th, 2002. His teeth probably werent in great condition but there were still intact at the time. By early 2001, it had been a couple of years since he had seen his old friend, so he was very surprised when he ran into him at a party. King 5 reports that there is a new photo exhibit featuring artists like Layne Staley and Alice In Chains, along with Chris Cornell and Soundgarden. Everything. I am so sorry for your pain & sadness. Im telling you: Demri was here last night. Demris mother, Kathleen Austin, heard this story from Mike Starr after Laynes death and relayed the story to David de Sola (and it was corroborated by Jason Buttino). hp: 1, Advertisement. Needless to say, we missed the game and kept pretty much everyone else from watching it as well., That day we were talking and he said he had gotten a call from the old Rage Against The Machine members and they were putting together a new project, and they wanted him to audition. Information Many outsiders looking in at grunge claimed that the movement glamorized drug use, promoting the concept of art and addiction being intertwined via their lyrics and the growing concept of "heroin chic" that was popular in '90s fashion. I already had depression and cPTSD from growing up with an abusive father. I literally watched him start and finish but the in between was just spectacular!!!! His voice will already make me feel a way that I cannot put into words. VI (2004), which was released on April 20, or "Weed Day." "Layne" is the tenth track on Black Label Society'sHangover Music Vol. Layne Considered Sending A Demo To Jerry Cantrell. In 1988, Layne Staley met Demri Lara Parrot, a model who would eventually become a grunge icon. The fact that Phil is accompanied by Alice in Chains' Mike Inez and Jerry Cantrell contributes to the magnetism of this stellar recording. Layne and Mark Lanegan Discussed Collaborating, We talked about [working together] from time to time, Mark Lanegan told CDNow in April 2002. Can you try to talk sense to him?, Forrest agreed to, and he and Frusciante visited Staley at his Seattle condo. "We've talked about doing like a punk rock album where it's much quicker faster, straight to the punch kind of really fast music. ", Jeff Gilbert, an editor at Seattle music magazine the Rocker, said that when Layne approached him on the street toward the end of his life, he looked bad physically but seemed aware emotionally. The pain is more than you can handle. Add to this the death of Demri, these losses are so painful, yet, sadly the medicine he used to try and numb the pain, only engenders more pain and more suffering by stealing your gifts and dimming your spirit. Layne likely started using heroin due to the double influence of his father and Demri Parrott, his fiance. "@type": "WebPage", simplerGPT: true, He spent most of his time playing video games, making art, and doing drugs. .addService(googletag.pubads()); 4. She said after most of the crowd left at night Layne was still there, and she wanted to go swimming so Layne followed her to the pool. "I never wanted [the public's] thumbs' up about this f*cking drug use," he said. | They also had to change some lyrics on the songs so his lips wouldnt be so evident. The frontman, who is known for his work with Alice in Chains, was born on August 22, 1967, in Kirkland, Washington. The band's unique sound staccato rhythms, throbbing groove riffs, and alternating guttural and harmonized clean vocals made the album pretty perfect for a Layne Staley guest spot, and according to Alice in Chains: The Untold Story, Staley was enthusiastic about recording the vocals, though he asked that producer Toby Wright come alone because he "wasn't looking or feeling great, and he didn't want to be seen.". A stalker stabbed her in the neck and wrist before she could attend an autograph session at the now-closed bar Stoker in St. Petersburg. Cantrell was just starting out as a songwriter, but Staley saw his potential and the two became friends quickly. Nancy responded, Laynes got an odd sense of humor. Layne: Nothing. I'd much rather have him alive and not talking to me than to have lost such a great human being [] a great friend. googletag.enableServices(); Your email address will not be published. Anyone with good taste in music will tell you: "When everyone goes home, I'm stuck with Layne Staley." I even asked him if I could call 911, you know, and he said that if I did, he'd never talk to me again. She studied at the Arlington High School, Washington (1984 -1986); the Lakewood High School, Arlington, WA (1986); and the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Jacksonville, Florida (1985 - 1989). He said he would like to settle down at some point in time but, sadly, his future path never became paved. The autopsy report indicated that Staley had died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine a speedball, as described above. He weighed 80-some pounds and his health was deteriorating. Model, artist, and muse, and amateur actress, girlfriend and once fiancee of. His unfettered drug use and his severely poor oral hygiene made his teeth rot and fall out. "name": "10 Surprising Stories About Layne Staley’s Reclusive Years" "I'm not using drugs to get high like many people think. I am bringing my kids to alice in chains on sat oct 8th 2022 at the xfinity cnter, still an amazing band , although, and as I taught my kids about music while they were growing up, it still isnt the same without that amazing voice and personality he put into a show, I graduated H.S. From 'Salute Your Shorts'? He felt guilty about this for the rest of his life until he too died of a drug overdose some years later. During this period, following the death of Demri Parrott in 1996, Staley became even more depressed and essentially became a hermit, never leaving his condo in Seattle. complete: 1, really, dude? Publicity Listings Your California Privacy Rights Some of the artists that have performedAlice in Chains material includeIn Flames, Daughtry, Khemmis, Breaking Benjamin, Machine Head, Incubus, Sophia Urista, Fishbone, Shinedowntogether withSeether, Benighted in Sodom, etc. Forrest says that Staleys mind clearly still worked but that he was a million miles away., Bob: Hey Layne. Im just a singer. He famously quit drinking on his own. By this point he had quit [Alice In Chains], he had lost most of his teeth, and weighed barley 100 pounds. The Hungarian band Ektomorf puts a brutal spin on We Die Young. While this interpretation is bound to be polarizing, it definitely is a lot of fun. Layne Staley's official date of death was declared April 5, 2002. He has stated that he and Alice in Chains dealt with painful emotions in order to make it easier for listeners to deal with their own memories. What counts most, however, is that it clearly comes from a place of compassion. Parrott had died in October 1996. He is stunning still! He also has a knack for writing lyrics that were dark and emotional and his songwriting and singing complemented each other and gave Alice in Chains its own special sound. Frontman Mikael kerfeldt revealed to Spin that Alice in Chains may have been his biggest inspiration from the 90s. It's the worst pain in the world. Bob: Your Moms worried, man. Though never verified, there have been rumors that Layne worked on a home demo called Everyday that he planned on sending to Jerry Cantrell, possibly as late as 2002. Fans everywhere rejoiced whenAugust 22, 2019, was declared Layne StaleyDay byJenny Durkan, the now-former mayor of Seattle. His voice was perfect in every way. Layne Went To A House Party And Hung Out With Ann Wilson, In the Heart book Kicking and Dreaming, Ann Wilson revealed that Layne attended a party at her home around 1999. She Played Nadia In American Pie. "That's what his music was about," she said. 255. If something could take away this physical and emotional pain for five minutes all I do is cry. ", document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); At least, I believe it to be. Layne's step father says that his tooth loss started in either 1995 or 1996 and was a gradual process. And it took. .addSize([0, 0], [[320, 50]]) A combination of poor hygiene, nutrition, and drug use had left his teeth in poor condition. There were rumors that Staley lost an arm to gangrene, but there is no photographic evidence of this injury. The two were watching the show Crossing Over, on which a medium claimed to speak to audience members' dead relatives, when Staley said, "Demri was here last night. I did crack and heroin for years. They kind of meshed the darkness from some of the more extreme metal bands I was listening to at the time with that melodic sense. Parrott, Laynes fiance, also introduced him to heroin and never became sober herself, making it very difficult for Layne to do the same, even when he was in rehab. If I would, could you? In 2020, Metallica performed Would? for the Museum of Pop Culture. Throughout their career, Alice In Chains sold over 14 million records in the U.S. and more than 30 million records worldwide. He couldnt even ingest food fully at this point and survived off of supplements. According to Guitar World, in 1997, Layne Staley, using the entity the Larusta Trust (Layne often used the fake name John Larusta in his business dealings, perhaps as a reference to the Alice in Chains' classic "Rooster"), purchased an apartment in Seattle's bustling University District. Krist Novoselic, Mark Lanegan, Mike Inez & Sean Kinney Tried To Help Layne. ], All I read were facts. While late Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley was largely reclusive during his later years, the legendary singer considered fronting the band that later became known as Audioslave in January 2001, according to Staleys friend Morgen Gallagher, who talked to Alternative Nation in August 2015. AIC was grunge personified and its frontman, Staley, is also famous. Aaron hasbeen performingAiC songs for a lifetime. You can find Layne "writhing in the ghost of a song. Layne should be remembered as an artist who encouraged wakefulness: Wake up, young man. Rising through the rainier fog." Of course I didn't know he was going to die, or I would've called 911 anyways. .addService(googletag.pubads()); 3. Sean Kinney, for example,remembers trying to contact him three times each week. Whats going on. The last time I saw Layne and the last picture we have of him is holding baby Oscar. I am 36 now and know them all. "position": 2, "@type": "WebPage", Whatever Happened to Tiffany Brissette, Vicki From 'Small Wonder'? The overall result of Welsh's effort is both hilarious and spooky. Dont be surprised to find yourself singing along by the end. But while many singers attempted to sound more broken than the rest during grunge's heyday, Staley could unfortunately back up the emotion behind his music. Thankfully, the brave and daring singer has long since recovered. Laynes step father says that his tooth loss started in either 1995 or 1996 and was a gradual process. The wholesome 55-year-old rocker and former child model is a true inspiration. This eerie and bewitching footage of Cornell performing Mad Season's "River of Deceit" with Temple of the Dog in 2016 will make you want to purchase a time machine and a ticket to NYC: "My pain is self-chosen. Although he wasnt as famous as Cobain, he was still a major figure in the Seattle grunge scene. Taproot were recording a new album with Alice In Chains producer Toby Wright in 2002, and wanted Layne Staley to sing on a song, according to Mark Yarms book Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge. Sadly, Starr would be the last person to see Layne alive. The bands second album came out in 1992 and it was called Dirt. "This f*cking drug use is like the insulin a diabetic needs to survive," said Staley in a portion of the interview published by Blabbermouth. .build(); Alice in Chains original 1987 lineup consisted of Layne, drummer Sean Kinney, bassist Mike Starr, andJerry Cantrell the singer and guitarist who remains largely responsible for the bands unique sound. ", Nancy makes a specific point of mentioning that although her son had become withdrawn from the public, he was available for those close to him. As a result, there is a last photo that was published in 1998 and one final photo that was taken in 2002, just weeks before his death. ,{ Staley was known to regularly use cannabis, heroin, cocaine, crack and morphine. Vocalist Jonathan Davis hits his target with startling accuracy. It was a warning.". "@type": "ListItem", Demri Lara Parrott Murphy (February 22nd 1969 - October 29th 1996) was an American model, artist, and muse, and an amateur actress, girlfriend and later fiancee of Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley. He and Laynewere two of the defining voices of their generation. Opeth released this recording on their EP Burden(2008). The exception is "Them Bones" for which Welsh mimics Alice in Chains' style. Whatever Happened to Michael Hurst, Iolaus From 'Hercules: The. That said, the people who saw him deep into his addiction claimed that while Staley looked terrible physically, he was often the same smiling, lighthearted guy they remember. He took great care of his cat? 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