On April 5, 2002, Layne Staley (1967-2002), singer, guitarist, and frontman for the popular Seattle band Alice in Chains, dies of a drug overdose. He was 34. The singer is found dead in his University District condominium on April 19. A relative contacts police when she hasn't heard from him in about two weeks. Officers break down the door to gain entry and find Staley on the couch, "obviously deceased," with drug paraphernalia nearby. The King County Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report, released on May 6, will conclude that Staley died from an overdose of heroin and cocaine on April 5. The death is listed as accidental.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains gained national fame in the early 1990s as part of Seattle's "grunge" music phenomenon, along with Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Alice in Chains' distinctive sound came from Staley's vocal style and his lyrics dealing with personal struggles and addiction. Alice in Chains stopped touring in the mid-1990s when Staley's admitted drug use worsened.
On April 20, the day after Staley was found, Cain Rurup, an Alice in Chains fan, organized a candlelight vigil at the International Fountain at Seattle Center. More than 200 friends and fans attended. Staley's mother, father, and sister were there, as well as Alice in Chains band members Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney. Former band member Mike Starr, ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, and Susan Silver, Cornell's wife and Alice in Chains' manager, were also in attendance.
Prophetically, Alice in Chains' first release (1990) was an EP titled "We Die Young."
