It's Layne Staley's Birthday!
The original singer of Alice in Chains, rose to fame, as one of the heralds of Seattle's grunge movement. His harmonizing with Jerry Cantrell, set the band apart from the rest of the bands who's rise marked the end of Hair Metal's dominance in the rock landscape.
The song "Man in the Box", from Alice in Chains' debut album, Facelift was an MTV and radio hit, as Staley's vocal style and range became a signature of something fresh and new on the rock scene. The band would make their mark opening for Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer, on the Clash Of the Titans tour, which gave the band underground cred to go with their critical acclaim.
Alice in Chains' rise through the 90's would peak with the EP Jar of Flies, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it their first record to top the chart, but the achievement would come at a cost, as Staley's heroin abuse would lead him to rehab, slowing the band's push. He would work on the side project Mad Season with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees, and John Baker Saunders of The Walkabouts, while Alice in Chains was in hiatus, which caused tensions with Jerry Cantrell.
Staley's addiction began to show with the change of his physical condition from heroin abuse, but despite his glaring issues Alice returned with a MTV Unplugged session, which became Alice in Chains' first concert in over two years. The band would hit the road performing three shows, supporting Kiss on their reunion tour. Staley's final live performance would come on July 3, 1996 in Kansas City, Missouri, as his condition caused him to slow down his work with the band. He recorded two songs with Alice in Chains, "Get Born Again" and "Died," and he recorded a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" with Class '99. By the start of the new decade, though Staleys' struggle would come to an end, as he died from a speedball overdose on April 5, 2002, at the age of 34.
Layne Staley is one of the most identifiable voices in rock history, as Alice In Chains is one of the signature bands of the 90's, and of the the greatest rock bands of all time. The widespread acclaim did not hit as high as it did with Pearl Jam & Nirvana, but his mark on the scene is undeniable, as being one of the greatest rock voices of all time!
Happy Birthday Jerry, despite your pain you made the rock world a better place.