Layne Staley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Layne Staley
Staley performing with Alice in Chains in 1992
Background information
Birth name	Layne Rutherford Staley
Also known as	Layne Elmer
Born	(1967-08-22)August 22, 1967 Bellevue, Washington, U.S.
Died	April 5, 2002(2002-04-05) (aged 34) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Grunge alternative metal alternative rock hard rock glam metal (early)
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar drums (early)
Years active	1984–1998

Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley; August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American singer and songwriter. He was the main singer for the band Alice in Chains. This band became very famous in the early 1990s as part of the Seattle grunge music scene. Layne was known for his special singing style. He also harmonized well with his bandmate Jerry Cantrell.

Before Alice in Chains, Staley was in glam metal bands like Sleze and Alice N' Chains. He was also part of other music groups called Mad Season and Class of '99.

The song "Man in the Box" from Alice in Chains' first album, Facelift (1990), made people notice Staley's unique voice. The band's short album (called an EP) Jar of Flies (1994) was a huge success. It was the first EP ever to reach number one on the Billboard 200 music chart.

While Alice in Chains took a break, Layne started a new project. He worked with other Seattle musicians like Mike McCready from Pearl Jam. This new group became Mad Season.

On April 10, 1996, Alice in Chains played a special acoustic show for MTV Unplugged. This was their first concert in two and a half years. Layne's last live performance was on July 3, 1996, when the band played with Kiss. After 1998, Layne mostly stayed out of the public eye. He recorded two more songs with Alice in Chains, "Get Born Again" and "Died". He also sang a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" with Class of '99.

Layne Staley passed away on April 5, 2002, when he was 34 years old. He is remembered as one of the top vocalists in rock music. Seattle officially named August 22, 2019, "Layne Staley Day" to honor him. He received six Grammy Award nominations with Alice in Chains.

About Layne Staley

Early Life and Interests

Layne Staley was born on August 22, 1967, in Bellevue, Washington. His parents were Phillip and Nancy Staley. Layne didn't like his middle name, "Rutherford." He legally changed it to "Thomas" when he was a teenager. He did this because he was a big fan of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

Layne started playing music very young. He joined a rhythm band when he was only two or three years old. When he was nine, he wrote in a book that he wanted to be a singer.

His parents divorced when he was seven. He was then raised by his mother and stepfather, Jim Elmer. For a while, he used his stepfather's last name, Elmer, at Meadowdale High School.

Layne grew up in the Christian Science church. However, as an adult, he questioned religion. He said he thought many people were "scared of life and living." He preferred to believe in himself. He also felt that the song "Get Born Again" was about "religious hypocrisy."

He loved listening to his parents' music collection. Black Sabbath was his first big influence. He also enjoyed bands like Deep Purple, The Stooges, Anthrax, and Judas Priest. He also admired Prince and David Bowie.

Layne started playing drums at age 12. He played in several glam bands as a teenager. But he always wanted to be a singer. In 1984, he joined a band called Sleze with other high school students.

In 1985, Sleze appeared in a low-budget movie called Father Rock. In 1986, Sleze changed its name to Alice N' Chains. Layne said this band "dressed in drag and played speed metal." They played cover songs by bands like Slayer in Seattle.

Music Career

Alice in Chains and Mad Season

Staley (front) and Jerry Cantrell performing at The Channel in Boston in 1992

Layne met guitarist Jerry Cantrell at a party in Seattle in 1987. Jerry had seen Layne sing with Alice N' Chains and was very impressed. Jerry was homeless at the time, so Layne invited him to live with him. They lived together for over a year in a rehearsal space.

Alice N' Chains broke up, and Layne joined a funk band. He asked Jerry to join as a guitarist. Jerry agreed, but only if Layne would also join his band. Jerry's band didn't have a name yet. It included drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr. Jerry loved Layne's voice, saying it sounded like it came from a "350-pound biker."

The funk project ended, and Layne joined Jerry's band full-time in 1987. Two weeks later, they played a show at the University of Washington. They played a few original songs and covers. The band was first called Diamond Lie. Then they used Layne's old band name, Alice N' Chains, and finally changed it to Alice in Chains. Layne got permission from his old bandmates to use the name.

A local promoter named Randy Hauser helped Alice in Chains record some demo songs. The final demo, The Treehouse Tapes, was made in 1988. It reached music managers Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver, who also managed Soundgarden. They showed the demo to Columbia Records, and the band signed with Columbia in 1989.

Staley performing with Alice in Chains in 1992

Alice in Chains released their first album, Facelift, on August 21, 1990. This album helped define the band's unique sound. The song "Man in the Box", with lyrics by Layne, became a huge hit. It was known for Layne's special voice and powerful lyrics.

Facelift has sold over two million copies in the United States. The band toured for two years. Then they released an acoustic EP called Sap in 1992. Alice in Chains also appeared in the 1992 movie Singles, playing "It Ain't Like That" and "Would?".

In September 1992, Alice in Chains released Dirt. This album was very popular and sold millions of copies. It reached number six on the Billboard 200 chart. Layne designed the sun logo found inside the album.

Jerry Cantrell wrote most of the music and lyrics for Alice in Chains. But Layne started writing more lyrics over time. He wrote about half the lyrics for the band's songs before 2009. He also wrote the music and lyrics for "Hate to Feel", "Angry Chair", and "Head Creeps." Layne also played guitar on "Angry Chair" and "Hate to Feel." Jerry Cantrell praised Layne for writing "Angry Chair," calling it a "masterpiece."

In 1994, Alice in Chains released their third EP, Jar of Flies. It was the first EP ever to debut at number one on the charts. The band members decided not to tour for Jar of Flies. This was because Layne was facing personal challenges.

After this, Layne started a new project with other Seattle musicians. These included Mike McCready from Pearl Jam and Barrett Martin from Screaming Trees. This new band was first called "The Gacy Bunch." They soon changed their name to Mad Season. In January 1995, Mad Season played two songs on Pearl Jam's radio broadcast. The band released an album called Above in March 1995. The song "River of Deceit" became popular on alternative radio. A live video of their performance was released in August 1995.

Staley with Mad Season in 1995

Alice in Chains got back together to record their next album, Alice in Chains, released in November 1995. This album also reached number one in the U.S. Layne wrote most of the lyrics for this album. The band released a video called The Nona Tapes. However, they did not complete tours planned for the album.

One of Layne's last shows with Alice in Chains was the MTV Unplugged performance in New York in April 1996. This was their first concert in a long time. Layne's very last performance was on July 3, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri, while touring with Kiss.

Other Music Projects

Layne Staley sang with Ann Wilson from the band Heart. They covered Bob Dylan's song "Ring Them Bells" for Heart's 1993 album Desire Walks On.

He also sang on the song "It's Coming After" from Second Coming's 1994 album L.O.V.Evil. Second Coming included some of Layne's old bandmates from Alice N' Chains.

One of the last songs Layne recorded was a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall". He sang this with a group called Class of '99. This group included Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine. They recorded the song for the 1998 movie The Faculty. A music video was also made.

A song called "Things You Do" with Layne singing was part of the soundtrack for the 2012 movie Grassroots.

Final Years and Legacy

Layne Staley lived a more private life from 1999 to 2002. He rarely left his home in Seattle. His mother, Nancy McCallum, said that his family and friends always showed him love. She saw him for the last time in early 2002.

On April 19, 2002, Layne's accountants noticed that he had not used his bank account in two weeks. His former manager, Susan Silver, called his mother. His mother then called the police. The police went to Layne's home with his mother and stepfather.

It was determined that Layne Staley passed away on April 5, 2002. He was 34 years old.

After Layne's Passing

A gathering was held for Layne on April 20, 2002, in Seattle. Many fans and friends attended, including his Alice in Chains bandmates. A private service was held later for his family and close friends. Chris Cornell and Ann Wilson sang at the service.

Jerry Cantrell dedicated his solo album, Degradation Trip, to Layne's memory.

Alice in Chains did not perform together for several years after Layne's death. In 2005, the bandmates reunited for a concert to help victims of a tsunami. They received a positive response. In 2006, they decided to reunite formally. William DuVall became the new singer, taking Layne's place. The band honored Layne at their concerts with a special tribute. DuVall has continued to sing with the band and has recorded new albums with them.

Tributes and Influence

Many musicians have spoken about Layne Staley's impact. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins said Layne had an "amazing voice" that was "beautiful, sad, haunting." The Smashing Pumpkins' song "Bleeding The Orchid" was inspired by Layne's passing.

Bands like Cold, Staind, and Black Label Society wrote songs in memory of Layne. Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, wrote a song called "4/20/02" about Layne. He also dedicated a song to Layne at a concert in 2016.

Jerry Cantrell said Layne helped him become a better singer. He encouraged Jerry to sing his own songs.

Since 2002, Seattle has held an annual tribute concert for Layne on his birthday. These shows raise money for the Layne Staley Memorial Fund.

Layne Staley was ranked among the top vocalists in music magazines. He was No. 27 on Hit Parader magazine's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" in 2006. He was also No. 42 on Complex magazine's list of "The 50 Best Lead Singers of All Time" in 2012.

Layne inspired the title of Metallica's 2008 album, Death Magnetic. They also recorded a tribute song called "Rebel of Babylon."

In 2009, Alice in Chains released Black Gives Way to Blue, their first album in 14 years. The title song is a tribute to Layne. Jerry Cantrell invited Elton John to play piano on the song. Layne's first concert was an Elton John show, and he loved it. The album's cover art, a heart on a black background, was inspired by the sadness of Layne's passing.

Hank Williams III dedicated his 2011 album Attention Deficit Domination to Layne.

Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney added Layne's initials "LSMS" to his drum kit. This honors Layne and former bassist Mike Starr. The music video for Alice in Chains' song "Voices" shows a picture of Layne.

Jerry Cantrell often pays tribute to Layne before performing the song "Nutshell" at concerts.

In 2017, Nancy Wilson revealed she wrote the song "The Dragon" for Layne in the 1990s. Alice in Chains released a video tribute to Layne on his 50th birthday in 2017.

William DuVall thought about Layne when writing the Alice in Chains song "Never Fade" from their 2018 album, Rainier Fog. The album's title track is also partly a tribute to Layne and Mike Starr.

Layne Staley Day in Seattle

On August 22, 2019, which would have been Layne's 52nd birthday, Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan officially declared it "Layne Staley Day." This day honors Layne's contributions to music. It also brings attention to the Layne Staley Memorial Fund, which his parents started in 2002.

Books About Layne Staley

Several books have been written about Layne Staley. Adriana Rubio wrote Layne Staley: Angry Chair in 2003 and Layne Staley: Get Born Again in 2009. However, Layne's family has said they do not believe he was interviewed by Rubio in 2002.

Layne was also featured in books like Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music (2009) by Greg Prato. Another book, Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge (2011) by Mark Yarm, also discussed Layne's life and music. These books included interviews with his mother, friends, and bandmates.

In 2015, journalist David de Sola released Alice in Chains: The Untold Story. This book focuses mainly on Layne and includes interviews with his friends and family.

Discography

Alice in Chains

Layne Staley sang on all Alice in Chains releases from We Die Young up to the song "Died". He is also featured on later reissues and compilations.

Other Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Layne Staley para niños