Mad Season was an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington in 1994 by members of three popular Seattle-based bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees. Mad Season released only one album, Above, and is best known for the single "River of Deceit". The band went on a semi-permanent hiatus in 1996 due to the band members' conflicting schedules and vocalist Layne Staley's problems with substance abuse. Attempts were made in the late 1990s to revive the group without Staley; however, the band dissolved following the death of bassist John Baker Saunders in 1999. Staley died three years later of a drug overdose.

History[link]

[edit] Career and Above

During the production of Pearl Jam's Vitalogy, guitarist Mike McCready went into rehabilitation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he met bassist John Baker Saunders.^[1] In 1994, when the two returned to Seattle, Washington, they formed a side band with drummer Barrett Martin. McCready played in such bands as Pearl Jam and Temple of the Dog, Martin with Skin Yard and the Screaming Trees and Saunders with blues talents such as Little Pat Rushing, Hubert Sumlin, Sammy Fender, and The Lamont Cranston Band.^[2] Immediately the trio set up rehearsal time together and wrote the music for two songs that would later become Mad Season's "Wake Up" and "River of Deceit" ( sample (help·info)), both of which would later appear on the band's album Above. McCready then brought in friend and Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley to round out the line-up. McCready had hoped that being around sober musicians would push Staley to get himself sober.^[3]

Despite not having a single song completely prepared (only beginnings of songs, according to Martin) and not even having a name for the band, McCready scheduled an unannounced show at the Crocodile Cafe on October 12, 1994, which turned out to be a big success.^[1] The song "Artificial Red", which was also to appear on the album, actually came together during the show itself. Two more gigs were scheduled (November 6 & 20, 1994) at the same venue,^[4] with the band calling itself The Gacy Bunch, after both the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy of Chicago and the 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch.^[2] On January 8, 1995, the band made an appearance on Pearl Jam's Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast, a four-and-a-half hour long pirate broadcast out of Seattle which was available to any radio stations that wanted to carry it,^[5] performing "Lifeless Dead" and "I Don't Know Anything".^[4] After gaining more popularity, the band recorded its only album and changed its name to Mad Season, which is an English term for the time of the year when psilocybin mushrooms are in full bloom,^[2] and a term which McCready related to "the seasons of drinking and drug abuse."^[1]

The album, Above, which was recorded in Seattle, Washington at Bad Animals Studio (co-owned by Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart) and co-produced by the band and Pearl Jam sound engineer Brett Eliason, featured ten songs. It also included guest vocals and additional lyrics by Screaming Trees frontman and solo artist Mark Lanegan. McCready said, "We did all the Mad Season music in about seven days. It took Layne just a few more days to finish his vocals, which was intense since we only rehearsed twice and did four shows."^[1] The album was released on March 15, 1995 through Columbia Records to critical and commercial success. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the album "sounds like a cross between Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, taking the ponderous seriousness of Alice and PJ's '90s update of winding '70s guitar rock."^[6] Staley's lyrics dealt with his personal troubles, with Martin saying, "Layne Staley felt as though he was on a spiritual mission through his music."^[7] Over the course of 1995, Above scaled the Billboard 200, eventually peaking at #24 and spawning two singles: "River of Deceit" (#2 Mainstream Rock Tracks, #9 Modern Rock Tracks) and "I Don't Know Anything" (#20 Mainstream Rock Tracks). Above was certified gold on June 14, 1995.^[8]

The band continued to play shows during the spring of 1995 before going on hiatus so that the members could return to work with their main bands.^[4] During this time the band released the Live at the Moore video, which was a live performance recorded at Seattle's Moore Theatre on April 29, 1995. Also, during this time the band contributed a cover of John Lennon's "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" to the 1995 John Lennon tribute album, Working Class Hero. In 1996, a live version of "River of Deceit" surfaced on the Bite Back: Live at Crocodile Cafe compilation album, although by this time Mad Season had long been dormant from live work as McCready and Martin went back to work with their respective bands and Saunders joined The Walkabouts.^[9]

In 1997, attempts were made by McCready, Saunders and Martin to revive Mad Season, although by this point Staley's health had worsened due to severe drug addiction. As a result he declined to participate in the project any further, thus leaving Mad Season without a singer. With Staley now out of the picture, the band recruited vocalist Mark Lanegan (of the Screaming Trees), who had previously guested on the Above album (as well as at live shows) as its new permanent singer. With the switch in frontmen the group also switched names adopting the Disinformation moniker in late 1997.^[10]

Work reportedly began in 1998 on what would have been Disinformation's debut album, although between everyone's busy schedules studio time was hard to come by. Over the course of the year the quartet gradually grew apart, making a Disinformation album all the more unlikely. Another critical blow was dealt to the project in January 1999 with the death of bassist John Baker Saunders from an overdose of heroin. The group (especially Saunders' long-time friend Mike McCready) was deeply saddened to hear news of his death.^[9] Although no official announcement by the band was ever given, it is widely accepted that Mad Season/Disinformation broke up following Saunders' death. In a radio interview with Alice in Chains in July 1999, Layne Staley confirmed that Mad Season had broken up due to the death of John. ^[11]

Post-Mad Season[link]

Following Saunders' death, McCready returned to working and touring with Pearl Jam and also later formed a new side project, The Rockfords. Martin briefly returned to work with Screaming Trees before the band disbanded in 2000. Since then Martin has worked as an occasional touring drummer for R.E.M. and performs with R.E.M guitarist Peter Buck in the band Tuatara. Staley briefly reunited with Alice in Chains in the late 1990s before dropping out of the public eye permanently. His body was later found on April 19, 2002 in his condominium, the victim of an apparent overdose of cocaine and heroin.^[12] Lanegan has gone on to a relatively successful solo career, has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, and performed with Isobel Campbell on the 2006 Mercury Prize nominated album, Ballad of the Broken Seas, and as part of a duo with Greg Dulli under the name The Gutter Twins.

On February 28, 2010, McCready performed at the Hootenanny For Haiti at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle along with the likes of Velvet Revolver, Jane's Addiction and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Fastbacks bassist Kim Warnick, Loaded and former Alien Crime Syndicate, Sirens Sister and Vendetta Red bassist Jeff Rouse as well as Truly and former Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel among others.^{[13][14][15][16]}

A number of songs were covered during the show, including Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is a Place on Earth",^[17] Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry",^[17] The Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" among others^[17] however one of the more notable covers came when McCready performed a cover of "River of Deceit" for the first time since the breakup of Mad Season^[17] with Jeff Rouse performing vocal duties on the song.^[17]

Partial reunion[link]

On May 23, 2012, the surviving members of Mad Season Mike McCready and Barrett Martin reunited at the Showbox Theatre in Seattle for Mike's annual benefit concert for Crohn's Disease.^[17] They were joined by Loaded singer Jeff Rouse and bassist Rick Friel.

In May 2012, Mike McCready said that there's a possibility that the surviving members of Mad Season (him and Barrett Martin) could release the second album they were working on. This was after Layne left the band; they recorded 10 - 12 tracks instrumentally from 1997 - 1999 and then abandoned work on it. They're looking for someone to sing on these tracks. However, it's unclear when this album could be released, or if it will be for sure. ^[18] It's also unknown whether Barrett Martin will sing on these songs (as was originally planned in 1997), after Layne Staley left Mad Season. It's also unknown if this would be considered a Mad Season or Disinformation album, and also whether McCready and Martin have plans to permanently revive Mad Season or go ahead with their plans to form Disinformation.

Band members[link]

• Barrett Martin – drums (1994 - 1999)
• Mike McCready – lead guitar (1994 - 1999)
• John Baker Saunders – bass (1994 - 1999)
• Layne Staley – vocals, occasional rhythm guitar (1994–1997)

Additional personnel[link]

• Mark Lanegan – vocals
• Skerik – saxophone, percussion (1994–1995)

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

Videos[link]

Other appearances[link]

See also[link]

• List of alternative rock artists
• List of grunge supergroups

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Mad Season at Allmusic
• Mad Season T Shirt
• McCready's interview on Mad Season

Layne Staley
Staley playing with Alice in Chains in Boston in 1992
Background information
Birth name	Layne Thomas Staley
Born	(1967-08-22)August 22, 1967 Kirkland, Washington, U.S.
Died	April 5, 2002(2002-04-05) (aged 34) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal, grunge, heavy metal, hard rock,[1] alternative rock, blues rock, speed metal, glam rock
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active	1979–2002
Labels	Columbia
Associated acts	Sleze, Alice N' Chains, Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Second Coming, Class of '99, Tool
Website	www.layne-staley.com

Layne Thomas Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002)^[2] was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock band Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. The band became known for his distinct vocal style, as well as the harmonized vocals between him and Cantrell.^[3] Staley was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99. He struggled throughout his career with severe drug addiction, culminating with his death in April 2002.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Layne Staley was born to Phil Staley and Nancy Staley (née McCallum) in Kirkland, Washington.^[4] He was seven years old when his parents divorced, after which he was raised by his mother and stepfather, Jim Elmer. He was raised Catholic. He took his stepfather's name while enrolled in Meadowdale High School^[5] and was known for some time as Layne Elmer.^[6] In early 2002, shortly before his death, he would describe the experience of witnessing his parents' divorce: "My world became a nightmare, there were just shadows around me. I got a call saying that my dad had died, but my family always knew he was around doing all kinds of drugs. Since that call I always was wondering, 'Where is my dad?' I felt so sad for him and I missed him. He dropped out of my life for 15 years."^[7] In that same interview he hinted that his parents' break-up and his father's drug use were at least partially responsible for his own drug problems, and also said that he was convinced that if he became a celebrity his dad would return.

Staley began playing drums at age 12; he played in several glam bands in his early teens, but by this point, Staley had aspirations of becoming a singer.^[8] In 1984, Staley joined a group of Shorewood High^{[disambiguation needed ]} students in a band called Sleze,^[9] which also featured future members of The Dehumanizers and Second Coming. In 1986, Sleze morphed into Alice N' Chains, a band which Staley said "dressed in drag and played speed metal."^[10] The new band performed around the Seattle area playing Slayer and Armored Saint covers. Staley met guitarist Jerry Cantrell while working at Music Bank rehearsal studios, and the two fast friends lived as roommates for over a year in the dilapidated rehearsal space they shared.^[11] Alice N' Chains soon disbanded and Staley joined a funk band who at the time also required a guitarist. He asked Cantrell to join as a sideman. Cantrell agreed on condition that Staley join Cantrell's band, which at the time included drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr. In 1986, Staley met Seattle underground guitarist Tim Barnes at a local Seattle bar. Barnes would later be offered a position in Alice in Chains but declined. Eventually the funk project broke up and in 1987 Staley joined Cantrell on a full-time basis. The band eventually took the name of Alice in Chains.^[10][12]

Alice in Chains and Mad Season[link]

Staley on stage in 1992

Alice in Chains released their debut album Facelift on August 21, 1990. The second single, "Man in the Box", with lyrics written by Staley, became a huge hit. "Man in the Box" is widely recognized for its distinctive "wordless opening melody, where Layne Staley's peculiar, tensed-throat vocals are matched in unison with an effects-laden guitar" followed by "portentous lines like: 'Jesus Christ/Deny your maker' and 'He who tries/Will be wasted' with Cantrell's drier, and less-urgent voice."^[14] Facelift has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA for sales of two million copies in the United States. The band toured in support of the album for two years before releasing the acoustic EP Sap in early 1992. In September 1992, Alice in Chains released Dirt. The critically acclaimed album, also the band's most successful, debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, and was certified quadruple platinum.^[15][16] During the Dirt tour (in 1992), Layne saved Mike's life after he had overdosed.^[17] The band did not tour in support of Dirt for very long, because of Staley's drug addiction.^[18] While touring, Starr left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Mike Inez.^[19]

Although Cantrell wrote almost all of the music for Alice in Chains (sometimes co-writing along with the bassist and drummer), and the lyrics, Staley wrote more and more lyrics as time went on, eventually receiving credit for about half the lyrics from their entire catalog prior to the release of Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009. He also wrote the music, as well as the lyrics, to "Hate to Feel", "Angry Chair" and "Head Creeps", and melodies to other songs. Staley's lyrics are largely viewed as having often dealt with his personal troubles, such as drug use and depression.^[8]

1994 saw the release of Alice in Chains' second acoustic EP, Jar of Flies. It debuted at number one, making it the first Alice in Chains release—and the first-ever EP—to do so.^[16] The other members of Alice in Chains, seeing Staley's deteriorating condition, opted not to tour in support of Jar of Flies.^[8] Following its release, Staley entered a rehabilitation clinic and began to work on a side project with several Seattle musicians, including Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees. The band worked on material for several months and eventually scheduled a show at the Crocodile Cafe under the name The Gacy Bunch.^[20] Within a few weeks, the band changed its name to Mad Season. In January 1995, Mad Season performed two songs on Pearl Jam's Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast, "Lifeless Dead" and "I Don't Know Anything".^[21] The band completed an album, titled Above, which was released in March 1995. The first single, "River of Deceit", became a modest success on alternative radio, and "I Don't Know Anything" still receives occasional airplay. A live performance filmed at the Moore Theatre in Seattle was released in August 1995 as a home video, Live at the Moore.

During Alice in Chains' hiatus, reports of Staley's addiction began to gain widespread circulation in fan and media communities, in part from changes to his physical condition brought on by prolonged heroin abuse. He struggled tremendously. Referencing Staley's guest-singing appearance with Tool on the song "Opiate", the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, "At KISW-FM's 'Rockstock' concert at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in Bremerton in May 1994—just a month after the death of Kurt Cobain—Staley made a surprise appearance. He looked sickly and wore a wool ski mask to hide his face."^[22] Some of the more persistent and unsubstantiated rumors, ranging from gangrene to missing fingers,^[23] surfaced during this period. Mark Arm of Mudhoney is quoted as saying: "I remember seeing him in '95… he turned up and was totally green, and my stomach turned at that point—watching somebody on a track that they couldn't get off."^[24]

Alice in Chains regrouped to record Alice in Chains, sometimes referred to as "Tripod", which was released late in 1995. The self–titled album debuted at the top of the U.S. charts, and has since been awarded—along with Facelift and Jar of Flies—double platinum status.^[15] With the exceptions of "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Over Now", the lyrics are all written by Staley, making this album his greatest lyrical contribution to the band's catalogue. To accompany the album, the band released a home video, The Nona Tapes, in which they poked fun at the rumors of Staley's addiction, but the band lapsed again, failing to complete tours planned in support of the album. When asked about the frustration of not touring to support the record, Cantrell provided some insight into how Staley's addictions led to repercussive tensions within the band: "Very frustrating, but we stuck it out. We rode the good times together, and we stuck together through the hard times. We never stabbed each other in the back and spilled our guts and do that kind of bullshit that you see happen a lot."^[25]

One of Staley's last shows with the band was their 1996 MTV Unplugged performance. He made his last performance on July 3, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri, while Alice in Chains were touring with Kiss after their Unplugged appearance.^[8] In October 1996, Staley's ex-fiancée, Demri Lara Parrott, died from secondary complications caused by drug use (bacterial endocarditis). This caused Staley to sink further into depression.^[26] "Drugs worked for me for years," Staley told Rolling Stone in 1996, "and now they're turning against me, now I'm walking through hell."^[27]

Final years: 1997–2002[link]

Staley remained out of the spotlight until February 26, 1997, when he and the other members of Alice in Chains attended the Grammy Awards after "Again" (from the self-titled album) was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance.^[28] In September 1998, Staley re-emerged to help record two tracks ("Get Born Again" and "Died") with Alice in Chains, which were released on the Music Bank box set in 1999. Additional reports of Staley's deteriorating condition persisted in the midst of the sessions. Dirt producer Dave Jerden—who was originally chosen by the band for the production—said, "Staley weighed 80 pounds…and was white as a ghost." Cantrell refused to comment on the singer's appearance, simply replying "I'd rather not comment on that…", and band manager Susan Silver said she hadn't seen the singer since "last year".^[27] Staley made his final public appearance on October 31, 1998, when he attended a Jerry Cantrell solo show. However, he declined Jerry's request to sing with him on stage. A photo taken of Layne backstage at this show is the most recent photo of Layne that has been publicly released.^[29] Thereafter, Staley was thought to have left behind his "self-imposed rock & roll exile"^[30] when in November 1998 he laid down additional vocal tracks as part of a supergroup called Class of '99, featuring members of Rage Against the Machine, Jane's Addiction, and Porno for Pyros. The group recorded parts one and two of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" for the soundtrack to Robert Rodriguez's 1998 horror/sci-fi film, The Faculty, with a music video filmed for part two. While the other members of the band were filmed specifically for the video, Staley's appearance consisted of footage pulled from Mad Season's 1995 Live at the Moore video. On July 19, 1999, syndicated radio program Rockline was hosting Cantrell, Inez, and (via telephone) Kinney for a discussion on the release of Nothing Safe: Best of the Box, when, unexpectedly, Staley called in to participate in the discussion.^[31]

Charles R. Cross would later say that they had Staley's obituary on stand-by at The Rocket in the late 1990s.^[8] Upon the retirement of Alice in Chains' manager, Susan Silver, in 1998, The Rocket published an article asking the question "But who's to wipe and clean Alice in Chains now?", supposedly a jab at the rumors of Staley's addiction.^[8] Joe Ehrbar, the editor of The Rocket at that time, said, "A few days later, we received a package containing a jar of piss and a bag of shit, with a note attached saying, 'Wipe and change this, motherfuckers!' It had to be from Layne. What a classic response.'"^[8]

From 1999 to 2002, Staley became more reclusive, rarely leaving his Seattle condo; little is known about the details of his life during this period. It was rumored that Staley would spend most of his days creating art, playing video games, or nodding off on drugs. Staley's mother owns the last known photo of Staley, taken on February 14, 2002, which features him holding his newborn nephew, Oscar,^[32] although the photo has never been published. Other than this rare incident, Staley was not seen often by family or friends. In his last interview, Staley stated, "Don't try to contact any AIC (Alice in Chains) members. They are not my friends."^[33] Kinney has commented on Staley's final years and isolation period:

"I kept trying to make contact...Three times a week, like clockwork, I'd call him, but he'd never answer. Every time I was in the area, I was up in front of his place yelling for him...Even if you could get in his building, he wasn't going to open the door. You'd phone and he wouldn't answer. You couldn't just kick the door in and grab him, though there were so many times I thought about doing that. But if someone won't help themselves, what, really, can anyone else do?"^[8]

In his last interview, given in early 2002 months before his death, Staley admitted, "I know I'm near death, I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way."^[33] Staley's physical appearance had become even worse than before: he had lost several teeth, his skin was sickly pale, and he was severely emaciated.^[33] In the same interview Staley spoke of the damage caused by his heroin addiction:

"I'm not using drugs to get high like many people think. I know I made a big mistake when I started using this shit. It's a very difficult thing to explain. My liver is not functioning, and I'm throwing up all the time and shitting my pants. The pain is more than you can handle. It's the worst pain in the world. Dope sick hurts the entire body."^[33]

As far as published reports are concerned, such as Blender's "We Left Him Alone", close friends such as Matt Fox have said, "If no one heard from him for weeks, it wasn’t unusual." Further in the article, reporter Pat Kearney provides a glimpse into Staley's daily life and public routine:

"It appears that Staley’s last few weeks were typically empty. According to an employee of the Rainbow, a neighborhood bar close to Staley’s condo, the singer was a frequent patron, stopping by at least once a week. 'He minded his own business,' said the employee, who wished to remain anonymous. Staley would never buy anything to drink, the employee said, but would simply sit at a small table in the back corner of the bar and 'nod off. We just left him alone'."^[34]

Staley's close friend Mark Lanegan had much of the same to say with respect to Staley's isolation: "He didn't speak to anybody as of late… It's been a few months since I talked to him. But for us to not talk for a few months is par for the course."^[35]

Death[link]

On April 19, 2002, Staley's accountants contacted Staley's mother Nancy McCallum and informed her that no money had been withdrawn from the singer's bank account in two weeks. McCallum then placed a call with 911 to say "she hadn't heard from… [Staley] in about two weeks."^[36] The police went with McCallum and her husband to Staley's home, "When police kicked in the door to Layne Staley's University District apartment on April 19, there, on a couch, lit by a flickering TV, next to several spray-paint cans on the floor, not far from a small stash of cocaine, near two crack pipes on the coffee table, reposed the remains of the rock musician." The article also stated that the 6'1" Staley weighed just 86 pounds when his body was discovered,^[37] mostly due to decomposition as his body was discovered two weeks after his death. The autopsy report later concluded that Staley had died after injecting a mixture of heroin and cocaine known as a "speedball".^[8] Staley's mother asked the police if she could move the things off of the couch and speak to the remains of Staley.

In an interview on VH1's Celebrity Rehab with McCallum, former Alice in Chains bass player Mike Starr said that he spent time with Staley the day before he died as Starr's birthday was April 4. Starr claimed that Staley was very sick but would not call 911. The two ex-bandmates briefly argued, which ended with Starr storming out. Starr stated that Staley called after him as he left: "Not like this, don't leave like this". Since Staley is believed to have died a day later, on April 5, Starr expressed regret that he did not call 911 to save his friend's life; Starr reported that Staley had threatened to sever their friendship if he did. Starr was the last known person to see Staley alive. The interview ended with Starr apologizing to McCallum for not calling 911, but McCallum was insistent that neither she nor anyone in her family blamed Starr for Staley's death. She also told Starr: "Layne would forgive you. He'd say, 'Hey, I did this. Not you.'" With that said, Starr still blamed himself for the death of Staley.^[39] Mike kept this story a secret to himself until this appearance on Celebrity Rehab in August 2009. During this same interview, McCallum also claimed that Layne had attempted rehab 13 times, although it's not clear whether any of these attempts were during his reclusive years.

Aftermath[link]

An informal memorial was held for Staley on the night of April 20 at the Seattle Center which was attended by at least 1000 fans and friends, including Cantrell, Starr, Inez, Kinney and Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell.^[40] Cantrell dedicated his 2002 solo album, Degradation Trip, released two months after Staley's death, to his memory.^[41] Following Staley's death, Alice in Chains officially disbanded. For the next several years, the band refused to perform together out of respect for Staley. In 2005, the remaining members reunited for a benefit concert for victims of the December 26, 2004 tsunami, with several vocalists filling in for Staley, including Patrick Lachman from Damageplan, Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Down fame, Wes Scantlin from Puddle of Mudd, Maynard James Keenan from Tool (a friend of Staley's), and Ann Wilson from Heart, who had previously worked with Alice in Chains when she sang on the Sap EP (performing backing vocals on the songs "Brother" and "Am I Inside").^[42] Following positive response, the band decided to reunite formally in 2006.

In an interview with MTV News, Kinney noted that the band would use the reunion concerts to pay tribute to the songs and to Staley.^[43] William DuVall, a member of Cantrell's solo touring band (who often sang Staley's parts on the Alice in Chains songs that Cantrell performed), was announced to sing Staley's part for the reunion shows. In the same interview, Kinney noted the reunion didn't necessarily foretell a future for Alice in Chains:

William DuVall has expressed similar sentiments while reflecting on the task of filling in for Staley:

The reformed Alice in Chains (with DuVall), which are known to have an intermission to include a five-minute filmed tribute in between sets to Staley,^[45] generated enough enthusiasm from fans, including Staley's mother according to DuVall,^[46] to convince the band to keep the name. In 2009, Alice in Chains released their first studio album in 14 years, Black Gives Way to Blue. The title track off that album was written as a tribute to Staley.^[47]

Legacy[link]

Cold's song "The Day Seattle Died" (from the 2003 album, Year of the Spider) was an ode to Staley, as well as Kurt Cobain, who were both figureheads of the grunge movement. In addition, Staind featured a song called "Layne" in memory to the singer on the 2003 album, 14 Shades of Grey. Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, also recorded a song eulogizing Staley, titled "4/20/02" (the day Vedder heard the news and subsequently wrote the song).^[49] The song featured only Vedder singing and playing the guitar in a ukulele-inspired tuning, and was released as a hidden track on Pearl Jam's 2003 B-sides and rarities album, Lost Dogs, roughly four minutes and twenty seconds after the conclusion of the final listed song, "Bee Girl".

Adema opted to pay tribute to Staley with their rendition of Alice In Chain's "Nutshell" on the Insomniac's Dream EP, released late 2002. Zakk Wylde also wrote a song about Staley called "Layne" on Black Label Society's 2004 album, Hangover Music Vol. VI.^[50] A further tribute entitled "Layne to Rest" was recorded by former Babes in Toyland frontwoman Kat Bjelland with her band Katastrophy Wife for the 2004 album All Kneel. Tyler Connolly of Theory of a Deadman stated that their song "Shadow" (an outtake from the 2008 album, Scars & Souvenirs) was written about Staley.

Staley's influence has likewise been felt in other media. Two books have been written about him, both authored by Adriana Rubio—Layne Staley: Angry Chair and the more recent, Layne Staley: Get Born Again, which was described as "a 'brand new book' that has been revised and updated with the inclusion of two new chapters: 'Hate to Feel' and 'Get Born Again' as a revival of the acclaimed Angry Chair book."^[51] On September 28, 2006, Blabbermouth.net reported on a movie project related to Rubio's most recent book on Staley: "According to a press release from ARTS Publications, Argentinean journalist/author Adriana Rubio has been contacted by writer/director Eric Moyer from Philadelphia about turning her biography of Staley, titled Layne Staley: Get Born Again, into a movie."^[52] Music Historian Maxim W. Furek released the comprehensive The Death Proclamation of Generation X: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Goth, Grunge and Heroin, i-Universe. ISBN 978-0-595-46319-0, that revisited the tragic deaths of numerous grunge artists.

Staley ranked #27 on Hit Parader magazine's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" (published in the November 2006 issue).^[53] Staley was an inspiration for the title of Metallica's 2008 album, Death Magnetic. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett brought a photograph of Staley to the studio where Metallica was recording. "That picture was there for a long time," said Hammett, "I think it pervaded James' psyche." Metallica recorded a song in tribute to Layne, titled ˝Rebel of Babylon˝.^[54]

On the ninth anniversary of Staley's death in 2011, Revolver published some outtakes from an interview with Mike Inez, who had this to say:

On September 6, 2011, Hank Williams III released his Attention Deficit Domination album and dedicated it to Staley.^{[citation needed]}

On the tenth anniversary of Staley's death in 2012, The Atlantic published an article written by David de Sola, who began:

Layne Staley Fund[link]

In 2002, Staley's mother, Nancy McCallum, and Jamie Richards, a drug and alcohol counselor, formed Layne Staley Fund, a non-profit organization that raised funds for drug treatment and worked with the Seattle music community. Layne Staley Fund, the non-profit dissolved in October 2010. However, funds that were raised over the years are held in a memorial fund (Layne Staley Memorial Fund) at Therapeutic Health Services, a drug and alcohol treatment center with several locations in the greater Seattle area. The main mission of LSF was to provide hope and support for those who suffer from addiction and to assist others with resources for recovery and treatment. The main fundraiser for Layne Staley Fund was a yearly tribute and benefit concert that was typically held in August, on or around Staley's birthday.^[56] Over the years, these tributes have featured several friends of Staley, including his former Alice N' Chains bandmates Nick Pollock and Johnny Bacolas. The latest benefit concert was held August 21, 2010, the day before Staley's birthday, and it featured the reunion of My Sister's Machine, Shawn Smith and All Hail The Crown, Villains Of Yesterday and Gunn & The Damage Done.On August 21, 2011, which would have been, again, the day before Layne's 44th birthday, fans gathered to create a fan-based memorial for both Layne and Mike Starr.

Discography[link]

Alice in Chains[link]

Other appearances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Layne Staley

• Official website
• www.aliceinchains.com
• Layne Staley Fund - A non-profit organization that raises money for drug treatment and works with the Seattle music community.
• Layne Staley at Allmusic
• Layne Staley at the Internet Movie Database
• Archive Seattle Police incident report at The Smoking Gun
• Layne Staley at Find a Grave