The tragic death of Layne Staley

On April 5, 2002, Layne Staley, lead singer of the grunge band Alice in Chains, died in Seattle, USA. Staley was victim of his heroin addiction and his body was found in his condo only on April 19.

Overwhelmed by his addiction, he lived in seclusion and his depression increased after the death of his girlfriend, Demri Parrott, who died of a drug-related illness. Born in Kirkland, USA, on August 22, 1967, he was known for his moving voice and stage presence.

Staley’s body was discovered on April 19, after no one had heard from him for two weeks, that the police were called in to break down the door to his Seattle apartment.

Surrounded, in squalor, by drugs and drug paraphernalia, was Staley. His 6′ 1″ frame had been reduced to 86 pounds, and in his hand was a syringe loaded with another dose of heroin. The autopsy and toxicology report placed the date of his death, which was ruled as accidental.

In 1987, he began playing with Jerry Cantrell, with whom he would form Alice in Chains. Before long, the band became known with the explosion of the grunge movement in Seattle.

Staley suffered from his parents’ divorce as a child and spent a long time without seeing his father. When he became famous with his band, he reunited with his father, but was disappointed to learn that he was also an addict.

This only made things worse for Staley, who at the same time also repudiated the addiction he was trying to quit. Her drug problems appear in some Alice in Chains songs, such as “Sickman”, “Dirt”, “Angry Chair” and “Grind”.

Watch the news of his death at the time:

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