Layne Staley

Layne Thomas Staley, (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002), born in Kirkland, Washington, USA, was the lead singer of the Seattle-based grunge/metal band Alice in Chains and the grunge supergroup

Layne Thomas Staley, (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002), born in Kirkland, Washington, USA, was the lead singer of the Seattle-based grunge/metal band Alice in Chains and the grunge supergroup Mad Season.

At the age of 12, Staley began playing drums and played in several glam bands in his early teens, but aspired to be a singer. He later traded in his drum set for a microphone. He met up with Jerry Cantrell in 1987, and formed Alice in Chains with him. Originally a glam band, Alice in Chains was one of the first bands of the grunge movement, and had marked metal influences.