Layne Staley was an American musician known for being the lead vocalist, occasional rhythm guitarist and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains from 1987 until 1998. The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement, and became known for Staley's distinct vocal style, as well as the harmonized vocals between him and guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell.Staley was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99.
From mid-1996 onwards, Staley was out of the public spotlight, never to perform live again. Staley struggled for much of his adult life with depression and drug addiction, which resulted in his death at the age of 34 on April 5, 2002.
“On being upset by comments that suggest the music on Dirt advocates drug use, quoted in”
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/alice-in-chains-through-the-looking-glass-19921126, Alice in Chains: Through the Looking Glass, Rolling Stone, November 26, 1992
“On how he met Jerry Cantrell, quoted in”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALAJkqgGgVM, Layne Staley Interviewed by Don Kaye in 1996
Source: Pandemonium Magazine, Vol#29 - April 1995: "Layne Staley Unchained"
