Layne Staley

Layne Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley, August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician known for being the lead vocalist, occasional rhythm guitarist and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains from 1987 until 1998. The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement, and became known for Staley's distinct vocal style, as well as the harmonized vocals between him and guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell.Staley was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99. From mid-1996 onwards, Staley was out of the public spotlight, never to perform live again. Staley struggled for much of his adult life with depression and a drug addiction, which resulted in his death at the age of 34 on April 5, 2002. 2Biography 3Early life Staley was born Layne Rutherford Staley 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.When Staley was 2 years old, his favorite song was "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" by B. J. Thomas, he would sing it even though he did not know the words. He joined a rhythm band in Bellevue when he was 2 or 3 years old, and was the youngest in the group. At 9 years old, Staley wrote in his D