Up Next. Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley, August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician best known as the original lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which rose to international fame in the early 1990s as part of Seattle's grunge movement. American grunge band Alice In Chains was formed in Seattle in 1987. Appreciating the vocal style of Layne Staley on the 10th anniversary of the singer's death. Born as Layne Rutherford Staley on the 22nd of August 1967 to Phillip Blair “Phil” Staley and Nancy Elizabeth Staley, in Kirkland Washington, Layne was a child who despised his middle name and took hatred for anyone who called him Rutherford. Former singer Layne Staley died in 2002 after overdosing on a "speedball," a mixture of heroin and cocaine. They are still active as of 2018. They have sold an estimated 15 million albums in the US alone. Following Layne Staley 's death in 2002, Alice in Chains broke up for good. After a decade in the musical wilderness Alice in Chains began performing again in 2005 with guest singers, and in 2007 chose William DuVall as new lead vocalist. Born as Layne Rutherford Staley on the 22nd of August 1967 to Phillip Blair “Phil” Staley and Nancy Elizabeth Staley, in Kirkland Washington, Layne was a child who despised his middle name and took hatred for anyone who called him Rutherford. In October 1996, Staley was deeply shocked by the death of Demri Parrott, the vocalist's long-time girlfriend and fellow drug addict. Tap to unmute. He lost that battle on April 5, 2002, when he died at the age of 34 from a combination of heroin and cocaine, commonly known as a "speedball." Here's the brief Seattle Police Department incident report describing Friday's (4/19) discovery of the body of Layne Staley, former lead singer of Alice in Chains. The band became famous for being part of the Grunge movement in Seattle in the early 90's. The Seattle grunge scene that transformed rock in … Layne Staley, their original singer, died in April 2002 in Seattle because of a drug overdose. 2.The one individual I have and will continue to be influenced,forever touched by,and will mourn and celebrate each day for the rest of my life despite the fact that my full discovery of him occurred after his death.3.The most amazing and … He died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine. Description: Layne Thomas Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he and guitarist Jerry Cantrell formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987. Alice in Chains. Staley’s body was discovered on April 19, after no one had heard from him for two weeks, that the police were called in to break down the door to his Seattle apartment. On Alice in Chains' 1992 album "Dirt," five of the 13 songs were about the cycle of heroin addiction. Here's the brief Seattle Police Department incident report describing Friday's (4/19) discovery of the body of Layne Staley, former lead singer of Alice in Chains. Gil Kaufman 03/09/2011 The death on Tuesday of former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr continued the … PASSING NOTES The body of Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley was found in his Seattle home on Friday. Club tells us, the people close to the singer appear to think that a very specific point in time marked the start of his darkness. This only made things worse for Staley, who at the same time also repudiated the addiction he was trying to quit. Staley stopped performing in about 1996, but his attraction to heroin never slowed. The King County Medical Examiner positively identified Staley's body on Saturday (April 20), following an autopsy. After college i did a postgraduate degree in digital communication Demri Parrott, band! 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