Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Layne Staley

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Layne Staley made an impact.

Layne Staley was the lead vocalist of the internationally acclaimed grunge band Alice in Chains. Emerging from Seattle's music scene in the early 1990s, Staley's distinctive vocal style and harmonies with Jerry Cantrell became a signature element of the band's sound. Before Alice in Chains, he was involved in glam metal bands like Sleze and Alice N' Chains. He also participated in the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99, further showcasing his diverse musical talents.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

1984: Joined Sleze

In 1984, Layne Staley joined Sleze, a band featuring future members of The Dehumanizers and Second Coming.

1985: Cameo in Father Rock

In 1985, Layne Staley and his band Sleze made a cameo in Father Rock, a low-budget movie from Seattle's Public Access Channel.

1986: Sleze Morphs Into Alice N' Chains

In 1986, Sleze morphed into Alice N' Chains, a band which Layne Staley said "dressed in drag and played speed metal." The new band performed around the Seattle area playing Slayer and Armored Saint covers.

1987: Joins Cantrell's Band

In 1987, Layne Staley joined Jerry Cantrell's band on a full-time basis after the funk project he was involved in broke up.

1987: Meeting Jerry Cantrell

In 1987, Layne Staley met guitarist Jerry Cantrell at a party in Seattle while working at Music Bank rehearsal studios. Staley invited Cantrell to live with him at the Music Bank.

1988: Demo Recordings and Police Raid

In 1988, Alice in Chains was due to record demo recordings at the Music Bank studio in Washington, but police shut down the studio during a cannabis raid.

1989: Signing with Columbia Records

In 1989, Alice in Chains signed with Columbia Records based on The Treehouse Tapes. The band also recorded another untitled demo over a three-month period.

August 21, 1990: Release of Facelift

On August 21, 1990, Alice in Chains released its debut album Facelift, shaping the band's signature style.

1990: Critical Recognition for "Man in the Box"

In 1990, Alice in Chains released "Man in the Box" as the second single from their debut album, Facelift. Layne Staley garnered critical recognition for his vocal style in the song.

September 1992: Release of Dirt

In September 1992, Alice in Chains released Dirt, which debuted at number six on the Billboard 200.

1992: Cameo in Singles

In 1992, Alice in Chains made a cameo in Cameron Crowe's film Singles, performing the songs "It Ain't Like That" and "Would?".

1993: Collaboration with Ann Wilson

In 1993, Layne Staley shared lead vocals with Ann Wilson for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells", featured on Heart's album Desire Walks On.

October 12, 1994: First Show as "The Gacy Bunch"

On October 12, 1994, Layne Staley's side project with several Seattle musicians played its first show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle under the name "The Gacy Bunch".

1994: "Jar of Flies" Debuts at Number One

In 1994, Alice in Chains' EP Jar of Flies debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. This made it Alice in Chains' first record—and the first-ever EP—to top the chart. Layne Staley entered a rehabilitation clinic due to his deteriorating condition from heroin abuse.

1994: Featured on Second Coming's Album

In 1994, the song "It's Coming After" from Second Coming's debut album L.O.V.Evil featured Layne Staley on lead vocals.

January 1995: Pearl Jam's Self-Pollution Satellite Radio Broadcast

In January 1995, Mad Season performed two songs on Pearl Jam's Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast, "Lifeless Dead" and "I Don't Know Anything".

March 1995: Above Album Release

In March 1995, Mad Season released the album titled Above, which included the single "River of Deceit".

August 1995: Live at the Moore Home Video Release

In August 1995, Mad Season's live performance filmed at the Moore Theatre in Seattle was released as a home video, Live at the Moore.

November 1995: Release of Alice in Chains Album

In November 1995, Alice in Chains released their self-titled album, sometimes referred to as "Tripod", which debuted at the top of the U.S. charts.

1995: Footage Pulled From Live at the Moore

In 1998, Layne Staley's appearance in the "Another Brick in the Wall" music video consisted of footage pulled from Mad Season's 1995 Live at the Moore video.

April 10, 1996: MTV Unplugged Performance

On April 10, 1996, Alice in Chains returned with a performance on MTV Unplugged in New York, marking their first concert in two-and-a-half years.

July 3, 1996: Staley's Final Live Performance

On July 3, 1996, Layne Staley gave his final live performance in Kansas City, Missouri, while supporting Kiss on their reunion tour.

February 26, 1997: Alice in Chains at the Grammy Awards

On February 26, 1997, Layne Staley and the other members of Alice in Chains attended the Grammy Awards, where their song "Again" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance.

June 22, 1998: Staley calls Rockline to talk to Cantrell

On June 22, 1998, Layne Staley called the radio program Rockline during an interview with Jerry Cantrell, who was promoting his solo album, Boggy Depot. Staley expressed his love for the album during the call.

October 1998: Staley Records New Tracks with Alice in Chains

In October 1998, Layne Staley recorded two tracks with Alice in Chains, "Get Born Again" and "Died". Reports indicated Staley's health was severely deteriorated during these sessions, weighing only 80 pounds and appearing very ill.

October 31, 1998: Staley's final public appearance

On October 31, 1998, Layne Staley made his final public appearance at a Jerry Cantrell solo concert in Seattle. He declined Cantrell's request to sing on stage with him, and a backstage photo from this show is the last publicly released image of Staley.

November 1998: Recorded "Another Brick in the Wall" with Class of '99

In November 1998, Layne Staley and Class of '99 recorded a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" for The Faculty movie.

November 1998: Staley joins supergroup Class of '99

In November 1998, Layne Staley recorded additional vocal tracks as part of the supergroup Class of '99, which featured members of Rage Against the Machine, Jane's Addiction, and Porno for Pyros.

1998: Recordings with Alice in Chains and Class of '99

In 1998, Layne Staley recorded two more songs with Alice in Chains – "Get Born Again" and "Died" – and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" with Class of '99.

July 19, 1999: Staley's last interview on Rockline

On July 19, 1999, Layne Staley unexpectedly called in to participate in a discussion on the radio program Rockline, which was hosting Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney to discuss the release of Nothing Safe: Best of the Box. This was Staley's final interview.

1999: Music Bank Box Set

In 1999, liner notes of the Music Bank box set contained details about "Angry Chair", a song written by Layne Staley.

2001: Rumored Audioslave audition

Around 2001, Layne Staley reportedly claimed he was asked to audition for Audioslave; however, this claim was later debunked by Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello.

2002: Layne Staley Memorial Fund Established

In 2002, the Layne Staley Memorial Fund was established by his parents. On August 22, 2019, Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan officially proclaimed that day as "Layne Staley Day" in the city in honor of Staley's contributions to the world of music, also drawing attention to the memorial fund.

2005: Alice in Chains reunites for benefit concert

In 2005, Alice in Chains reunited for a benefit concert for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, with several vocalists filling in for Layne Staley. This marked the band's first performance together since Staley's death.

2006: Alice in Chains formally reunites with DuVall

Following a positive response, Alice in Chains formally reunited in 2006, with William DuVall announced as Staley's replacement for reunion shows. The band paid tribute to Staley during concerts with a filmed tribute.

2009: Alice in Chains release "Black Gives Way to Blue" album

In 2009, Alice in Chains released their first studio album in 14 years, "Black Gives Way to Blue", featuring a tribute to Staley in the title track. Jerry Cantrell invited Elton John to play the piano on the closing song, which was written as the band's goodbye to Layne Staley. The album's cover art was inspired by the heartbreak of Staley's death.

2009: Influence on Alice in Chains Catalog

Prior to the release of Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009, Layne Staley received credit for about half the lyrics from the entire Alice in Chains catalog.