Alternative
United States
Layne Staley
About Layne Staley
Layne Staley rose to fame, but not necessarily fortune, as the lead singer in the popular Seattle band Alice in Chains. More metal-oriented than contemporaries Nirvana and Pearl Jam, AIC gained much of its gloomy mystique from the perpetually troubled singer, who based many of his dark lyrics around his own drug addiction. The raspy-voiced Staley also served as frontman for the short-lived grunge supergroup Mad Season, and then retreated into seclusion after the 1995 release of Alice in Chains’ self-titled album. Staley subsequently spiraled further into addiction and died of a drug overdose in 2002, leaving a sad legacy that nonetheless influenced a legion of brooding, post-grunge bands.
Influenced by Layne StaleyLayne Staley has influenced the music of Nickelback, Shinedown, Creed and more.
