Layne Staley

By 1992, he started using drugs and due to his addiction, the band ‘Alice in Chains’ couldn’t go on tours to promote their album ‘Dirt’.

In 1994, his drug addiction problem reached its zenith and he went to a rehabilitation centre.

In 1996, his ex-girlfriend and ex-fianc�e Demri Lara Parrott lost her life due to accidental overdose of drugs.

Layne Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington to Phil Staley and Nancy Staley. His parents’ separate when he was just seven and he had to grow up with his mother and stepfather, Jim Elmer.

He was raised with Catholic values and attended the Meadowdale High School, located in Lynnwood, Washington, and took up his stepfather’s surname.

He had a keen interest in music from his childhood and started playing drums for several bands during his teenage years and aspired to be a singer in future.

In 1984, he became a part of the students metal-band called ‘Sleze’, after which he played across Seattle as a member of ‘Alice N’ Chains’, a band formed by the former members of ‘Sleze’. The name of the band was eventually changed to ‘Alice in Chains’.

On August 21, 1990, the band released their first album ‘Facelift’. The album featured the hit single. ‘Man in the Box, which was written and composed by him.

Released in 1992, their second studio album ‘Dirt’ was one of the most successful and was a top hit. The featured singles include ‘Would?’, ‘Rooster’, ‘Angry Chair’, ‘Them Bones’, and ‘Down in a Hole’.

In 1994, ‘Alice in Chains’ came out with their album ‘Jar of Flies’, which received immense positive critical reviews and became one of their most successful albums.

In 1995, after a year of struggle with his heroin addiction, the band ‘Alice in Chains’ came together for their title album ‘Alice in Chains’. The album was based on the themes of ‘depression and drug use’ - this was his last album with this band.

In 1996, he was part of the ‘Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged performance and that year he also performed in Kansas City, Missouri, which was one of the last performances in his musical career.

The album ‘Dirt’ peaked at the number six position on the Billboard 200 and is four time platinum certified album. It was one of the bestselling albums of 1992 that sold over 5 million copies across the globe.

Released in 1994, ‘Jar of Flies’ peaked at the number one position on the Billboard 200 and received a triple platinum certification. The album sold 4 million copies across the globe and in 2011, the album ranked at number 4 on ‘Guitar World’ magazine's list of ‘top ten guitar albums of 1994’.