The enigmatic power and inner torment of

Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley - was an American musician, songwriter and the original lead
singer of the rock band Alice in Chains, which rose to international fame in the
early 1990s as part of Seattle's grunge movement. He was known for his
distinctive vocal style and tenor voice
Early life
Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington, on August 22, 1967. His parents are
Phillip Blair "Phil" Staley and Nancy Elizabeth Staley (née Layne). Staley did not like
his middle name "Rutherford" and would get angry every time someone called
him by this name. He legally changed his middle name to "Thomas" during his
teens because he was a fan of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

Staley joined a rhythm band in Bellevue when he was 2 or 3 years old, and was
the youngest in the group.[16] At 9 years old, he wrote in his Dr. Seuss book, "All
About Me" that he wanted to be a singer.
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.[11] In 1984,
Staley joined a group of Shorewood High students in a band called Sleze,[4] which
also featured future members of The Dehumanizers and Second Coming.
Career in Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains released their debut album Facelift on August 21, 1990, shaping
the band's signature style. The second single, "Man in the Box", with lyrics written
by Staley, became a huge hit.
During Alice in Chains' hiatus, reports of Staley's addiction began to gain
widespread circulation in fan and media communities, in part due to changes in
his physical condition brought on by prolonged heroin abuse.

Personal Life
In the early 1990s, Staley enrolled in several rehab programs, but he failed to stay
clean for long. At one point, the other members of Alice in Chains flew to Los
Angeles for weekly therapy at Staley's rehab.During the Dirt tour, Alice in Chains'
manager, Susan Silver, hired bodyguards to keep Staley away from people who
might try to pass him drugs,but he ended up relapsing on alcohol and drugs
during the tour. Kurt Cobain's death in April 1994 scared Staley into temporary
sobriety, but soon he was back into his addiction.

Death:(
In October 1996, Layne's longtime girlfriend Demri Parrott passed away from
complications of her own drug use, and the singer went into isolation, rarely
leaving his Seattle apartment, his grief overwhelming. There were rumours of his
death and that he had lost an arm due to gangrene. Lead singer and guitarist for
the grunge band Alice In Chains, was found dead in his Seattle apartment,
authorities said today (April 20). He was 34. ... "It was natural or an overdose --
that's the way it was determined by our investigators," said Seattle Police
spokesman Duane Fish.