Layne Staley Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 11½ in |
Weight | 68 kg |
Date of Birth | August 22, 1967 |
Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Date of Death | April 5, 2002 |
Layne Staley was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band, Alice in Chains (1987-2002). Additionally, he was also a member of other music groups such as Mad Season, Class of ’99, Alice N’ Chains, and Sleze.
Born Name
Layne Rutherford Staley
Nick Name
Layne Elmer, Alice, Blanche
Age
He was born on August 22, 1967.
Died
Layne passed away on April 5, 2002, in his Seattle home from a drug overdose of speedball (a mixture of heroin and cocaine) at the young age of 34 years.
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Bellevue, Washington, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Family
- Father – Phillip Blair ‘Phil’ Staley
- Mother – Nancy Elizabeth Layne
Net Worth
At the time of his death, Layne’s net worth was $5 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Genre
Grunge, Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Labels
- Columbia Records
- Virgin Records
- EMI Records
- Capitol Records
- BMG Rights Management
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 11½ in or 181.5 cm
Weight
68 kg or 150 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Layne Staley had dated –
- Debby Brawford (1988)
- Demri Parrott (1992-1994)
- Simone Starr – RUMOR
- Kristen Pfaff – RUMOR
- Tabitha Soren – RUMOR
Race / Ethnicity
White
He had English, German, Swiss-German, Scottish, remote Italian/Venetian, Irish, and Danish (on his paternal side) ancestry.
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Frequently wore sunglasses
- Raw-edged vocals
- Skinny frame
- He had 2 tattoos: a smiling skull sporting sunglasses and an Elvis hairdo on his left shoulder and Jesus with his eyes sewn shut on his back.
Layne Staley Favorite Things
- Bands – Metallica, Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Judas Priest, Exodus, Van Halen, Rainbow, Twisted Sister, Saxon, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Mercyful Fate, The Lords of the New Church
Source – IMDb
Layne Staley Facts
- He wrote about his struggles with heroin addiction in songs like Hate To Feel, Junkhead, Angry Chair, God Smack, and Nutshell.
- Staley had been dead for nearly 2 weeks before his body was discovered on April 19th. His body weighed only 86 lbs (or 39 kg) and was so decomposed that its identity could only be confirmed through dental records.
- Co-incidentally, he died on the same date as another musician Kurt Cobain, who had passed away 8 years earlier on April 5, 1994.
- Upon learning of Staley’s death on April 20, 2002, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam was so moved that he wrote the song 4/20/02 on the same night. Furthermore, Eddie paid tribute to him during his band’s concert on August 22, 2016, which was Layne’s 49th birthday.
- He was a massive fan of video games to such an extent that upon receiving his first credit card, he maxed out his card by purchasing several video games from Toys ‘R’ Us.
- The music video for Alice in Chains‘ single Voices (2013) features a picture of Staley along with a picture of Nirvana‘s Kurt Cobain at the 2:20 mark.
- The city of Seattle had declared August 22, 2019, as ‘Layne Staley Day’.
Featured Image by Rex Aran Emrick / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0