Remembering ALICE IN CHAINS’ LAYNE STALEY

Launch Radio Networks reports: ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist Layne Staley died four years ago today (April 5), at the end of a long and tragic descent into heroin addiction that ultimately sidelined his career and his band after three studio albums, an acoustic live disc and two EPs. The 34-year-old singer had all but disappeared from public view during the last few years of his life. His body was not found in his Seattle home until April 20, 2002, two weeks after the date on which it was ultimately determined that he died.

Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington on August 22, 1967 and began playing drums at the age of 12. He soon switched to singing and met guitarist Jerry Cantrell in 1987. The pair formed ALICE IN CHAINS, which started out as a glam band but eventually became one of Seattle's biggest "grunge" exports.

Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney recently reunited to appear at a taping of the VH1 Classic series "Decades Rock Live!" and plan to tour this summer with guest vocalists on the mic. Inez told Launch that the surviving members of the band still feel Staley's presence onstage with them. "He's in our hearts and we're carrying him with us every place we're gonna be playing this year," he said. "If anything we've got an angel looking out for us, you know, and of course, he's crazy."