(Terry McGinnis/WireImage). The most disturbing song on Dirt is Junkhead, co-written by Staley and Cantrell. Over a torturously slow metal-blues riff, Staley denounces the hypocrite norm, running their boring drills, and commits himself to consuming whatever drugs are available to him. Layne and Demri. I changed my number. She said he looked like a kid again, and at that moment there was no darkness in his life. Staley goes on to discuss how he got back in touch with his dad years after giving up trying but only because Phil had seen his photo in a magazine and, realizing he was rich, hit him up for drug money. Producer Dave Jerden watched as Staley disintegrated after a dressing-down from Cantrell: "Layne, who had such a strong personality, had completely turned into this nothing.". According to this Alice In Chains interview with Rockline on July 19, 1999, Staley wrote the song "Get Born Again" to target what he saw as "religious hypocrisy." There were times where someone had to go into the bathroom to see if Brad was still alive, Leary told Rolling Stone. It seems strange, since Staley would, of course, go on to become one of the most noteworthy figures in a genre that would present itself as the antithesis of everything bands like Mtley Cre stood for. His father was six years clean when they rekindled their relationship, but he soon started using again, and the two of them were getting high together. Dont try to talk about this to my sister Liz. He needs his hands and arms. She attended at school in Arlington (Washington), and dropped at her . Pick it up, this is a classic. Mark Lanegan and Mike Inez also went to Laynes home and bang on his door trying to see him. "item": { The pain is more than you can handle. ,{ A friend of hers said so and there's even an interview with Layne where he says Demri was pissed about it because it looked just like her when they could've just let her . "@type": "ListItem", Alice In Chains 2.0 became a band with two lead singers, with Cantrell frequently dueting with DuVall or taking lead vocals on his own. I can get by without them. I know he was joking, but I dont like to hear stuff like that. I'm Melisa. Layne Might Have Considered Fronting Audioslave. Layne and Mark Lanegan Discussed Collaborating, We talked about [working together] from time to time, Mark Lanegan told CDNow in April 2002. "@type": "WebPage", How lucky are we to have seen that? Ann responded that it was beautiful, and Layne retorted, Do you have any idea how rare it is for a meteor that big, and that bright, to come that close to us? For the bands cover design, Layne Staley provided the artwork, even painting his girlfriend Demri Parrott on the cover, when approaching the band with the design they quickly agreed with it. } He struggled with addiction for much of his life, and as Steven Hyden of the A.V. Layne and Mike Starr were watching television on April 4, 2002, the day before Staley died of a heroin overdose. Meanwhile, Starr, who'd been introduced to heroin by Staley, drank a bottle of bleach used for cleaning syringes, thinking it was water. She claims her daughter had come "to be there with Layne as he's doing his transition." Demri was born in Bremerton, Kitsap County, Washington, in the United States of America's Pacific Northwest. I know why youre here. Fortunately for Staley, Elmer appeared to be a pretty decent stepdad and even played a large role in getting young Staley into music. Other (false) rumors emerged, claiming that Staley had contracted gangrene by shooting up and had body parts ranging from fingers to an entire arm amputated. ), the No. That version of the band still records and performs. This idea was explored to an almost nauseating degree on 1992s Dirt, an unrelentingly grim collection of songs about how people should never, ever shoot heroin. Staleys horse-addicted ghost is still Cantrells muse, only this time Staley is actually dead. adServer: 'googletag', The2002 Rolling Stone article claimed that thedeath of ex-girlfriend Demri Parrott was one of the catalysts for Layne Staley's collapse into an isolated, drug-fueled existence that ultimately claimed his life. One night, Alice in Chains dressed up as strippers in skimpy panties and combat boots, and followed Van Halen on stage, aping their signature walk. A syringe loaded with a fresh supply of heroin sat in his hand; a used needle lay at his feet. "I told him I was sorry this was how it turned out.". Layne was flipping through the channels and stumbled on the John Edward show Crossing Over, a show that TV Guide describes as: A psychic claims to communicate with his audiences late loved ones. pubID: '434bb5e4-3704-4b75-b36c-785a444462bd', .addService(googletag.pubads()); .addSize([0, 0], [[300, 250], [336, 280]]) The article notes that Jerry Cantrell had told Kerrang! People Projects Discussions Surnames googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_content_1', [[336,280],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-3') "@type": "WebPage", .addSize([0, 0], [[320, 50]]) Alternative Nation published a similar article in September 2014, but we are now publishing a new version with a couple of new stories. } For what it's worth, Demri's mother believes Staley, although he was clearly affected by his drug use. The last public appearance he made was almost four years before his death when he attended his bandmate Jerry Cantrells solo concert in Seattle on Halloween in 1998. Starr left Staley's place later that day. Forrest says that Staleys mind clearly still worked but that he was a million miles away., Bob: Hey Layne. Im telling you: Demri was here last night. Demris mother, Kathleen Austin, heard this story from Mike Starr after Laynes death and relayed the story to David de Sola (and it was corroborated by Jason Buttino). She was around five feet tall-maybe even shorter-and was stunningly beautiful. On the rare occasions that he ventured out of his home, where he gorged on videogames whenever he wasnt gorging on drugs, Staley cut a hard figure: Abscesses covered his arms, and hed lost most of his teeth. I know Im near death, Staley continued. I am interested in rock music, creative writing, drama, and yoga. 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The album-opening Them Bones welcomes you with the screams of a man being burned alive, and it just gets more brutal from there. Starr, after a stint on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" and "Sober House," overdosed on prescription drugs in 2011. Nowells music was divorced from the deadly serious alternative music that had been the norm for the early part of the 90s; Sublime pointed the way to a new kind of mainstream rock that had the aggression and energy of punk and none of the underground pretension or anti-corporate ideology. Starr was likely the last one to see him alive. Layne turned a corner with two strippers into a hallway crowded with cops. Bob: Your Moms worried, man. (Handout). Demri Parrott (born Demri Lara Murphy on February 22nd 1969 - d. October 29th 1996) was the love of Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley's life.She was born in Bremerton, Seattle (WA) to Dennis Dougherty and Kathleen Austin, and had three brothers, Devin, Derek and David. He didnt have a great voice, but he sang like he did, using the power of his personality to give his vocals the sunny brassiness that made Sublime songs so irresistible on the radio once 1996s Sublime brought the bands music to the masses. .addService(googletag.pubads()); He dropped out of my life for 15 years." "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/category/rock/deep-cuts/", "I'm not doing well," the singer said. Finally, Starr left angry. We were running around like two little kids! "I don't give a f*** if you f****** believe me or not, dude. Staley erupted, then yelled at him whenever he tried to take more pills. She says she hopes that her son's music will shed light on the disease of addiction that ultimately took his life. Im going to die like thisthis is it. For years, Kinney had tried reaching out to Staley three times a week, either by phone or, when he was in town, yelling at the window of his nondescript Seattle condo. Staley and Parrott were no longer together when she died; because she lacked Staley's rock-star bank account, Parrott was reduced to living out a conventional junkie death, finally prostituting. } "He would get so angry at me, he would be ready to get out of the goddamn moving car. "@type": "WebSite", Kinney claims he had an alter ego he called Steve who would stand on a chair in an upscale restaurant and pee on the dessert cart or methodically pour beer into the sconces lining a hotel hallway for the pleasure of seeing them explode seconds later. }, In fact, it was his accountants who first noticed something might've been up. schain: { They couldnt have a chance to get back together as both of them died tragically in a short time after their break-up. But this version of AIC is an appreciably different band; many things can be said of Layne Staley, but Morgan Freeman-esque is not one of them. Two crack pipes were waiting on his coffee table, and several more used needles were uncovered when his body was moved. David de Sola writes that Staley would fly into a minor rage whenever someone referred to him by that name. Layne Thomas Staley, singer-guitarist, born August 22 1967; died before April 19 2002. They had chosen Kiana Lodge on Bainbridge Island as the wedding venue, thats why the private invitation-only memorial service for Laynes family and close friends was held there in 2002. 99 talking about this. By David de Sola | November 1, 2016 | 0. Black Gives Way to Blue consists of 11 tracks: All Secret Know, Check My Brain, Last of My Kind, Your Decision, A Looking in View, When the Sun Rose Again, Acid Bubble, Lesson Learned, Take Her Out, Private Hell, Black Gives Way to Blue.The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here consists of 12 tracks: Hollow, Pretty Done, Stone, Voices, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, Lab Monkey, Low Ceiling, Breath on a Window, Scalpel, Phantom Limb, Hung on a Hook, Choke.Rainier Fog consists of 10 tracks: The One You Know, Rainier Fog, Red Giant, Fly, Drone, Deaf Ears Blind Eyes, Maybe, So Far Under, Never Fade, All I Am.Boggy Depot (Jerry Cantrell solo record) consists of 12 songs: Dickeye, Cut You In, My Song, Settling Down, Break My Back, Jesus Hands, Devil by His Side, Keep the Light On, Satisfy, Hurt a Long Time, Between, Cold Piece.Degradation Trip Volumes 1 \u0026 2 (Jerry Cantrell solo double record) consists of 25 songs: (Volume 1) Psychotic Break, Bargain Basement Howard Hughes, Owned, Angel Eyes, Solitude, Mother's Spinning in Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones), Hellbound, Spiderbite, Pro False Idol, Feel the Void, Locked On, Gone. They are not my friends.". Demri Lara Parrott Murphy (February 22nd 1969 - October 29th 1996) was an American model, artist, and muse, and an amateur actress, girlfriend and . .build(); In the Staley slot was William DuVall, who sang in Cantrells post-AIC band and sat in with Alice when the band first reunited in 2006 for a benefit concert. She wasn't far behind, having immediately clocked out of work and raced home, flying past five police cars who, thankfully, didn't try to stop her. "@type": "ListItem", Perry Farrell and Kurt Cobain and all those guys did drugs, and Brad wanted to see what it was like. By the time Sublime was in the studio recording its self-titled third record, Nowell was in such rough shape that producer Paul Learyno stranger to substance abuse as a founding member of Butthole Surferssent him home before the record was completed. Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley and model Demri Parrott's relationship started as a fairytale but turned out a tragic love story that people can still remember. ", "I think people would be surprised that he [Staley] was raised in the Christian Science Sunday School for twenty years," his mother, Nancy McCallum, said to Alternative Nation in 2015. var googletag = googletag || {}; This fucking drug use is like the insulin a diabetic needs to survive, he said. } The show goes on, but Layne Staley and Bradley Nowell are still in the spotlight. (Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage). .addSize([0, 0], [[320, 50]]) Listening to music you love to hear is fun, period.Rome Ramirez, on replacing Bradley Nowell as the new singer of Sublime, So sing just like him, fuckers/It wont offend him/Just me/Because hes dead.Pearl Jam, 4/20/02, written for Layne Staley. Im not going to quit doing drugs. "I never wanted to end my life this way," he continued, lamenting but ultimately accepting his decision to start using crack cocaine and heroin years before. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) apstag.init({ Some believe that that when Layne his ex Demri Parrott died in 1996 from Drug overdose, Layne never recovered from her death and probably what caused him to fall apart beyond repair with his drug using. And as we're all aware, things have hardly improved in the decades since. The single Down In A Hole is a pained expression of romantic loss that became a metaphor for chemical longing in Staleys hands. about the Dirt cover were awhile ago, but that's Mariah, not Demri. Then Kurt shot me, and then Layne shot me after that and I died, for like 11 minutes.". I had the chance to throw out all this anger by the music in order to help others. She was adopted by her stepfather Stephen John Parrott. Alice in Chains was opening for Van Halen on tour in 1991 when Staley, prompted by Parrott, started using. Demri was born in Bremerton, Kitsap County, Washington, in the United States of America's Pacific Northwest. Demri's obituary. hp: 1, She then ignored directions from the officer on the scene to stay outside, entered the house, and sat next to her son's body. .addService(googletag.pubads()); Gold Standard: Oscars edition - Best Director. "It's heartbreaking and overwhelming and unnecessary." Demri was passionate about many things and excelled in art and theater. apstag.setDisplayBids(); "name": "Rock Features" Ramirez had been playing Sublime songs for much of his life when he hooked up with Gaugh and Wilson, learning them shortly after picking up the guitar at age 11. 2. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. According to MTV, the book "Layne Staley: Angry Chair" details the AIC singer's final interview with author Adriana Rubio, an Argentinian journalist. He showed up in the recording studio toothless, emaciated and looking like an 80-year-old man. FULL FILM: https://youtu.be/qMlLfrU5fjsAlice in Chains lineup throughout the Layne Staley era consisted of Layne Staley (87 - 98), Jerry Cantrell (87 - 98), Sean Kinney (87 - 98), Mike Starr (87 - 93) \u0026 Mike Inez (93 - 98).Alice in Chains post-Layne Staley has consisted of William DuVall (06 - Present), Jerry Cantrell (05 - Present), Sean Kinney (05 - Present) \u0026 Mike Inez (05 - Present).The We Die Young EP consists of three tracks: We Die Young, It Ain't Like That, Killing Yourself.Facelift consists of twelve tracks: We Die Young, Man in the Box, Sea Of Sorrow, Bleed The Freak, I Can't Remember, Love, Hate, Love, It Ain't Like That, Sunshine, Put You Down, Confusion, I Know Somethin (Bout You), Real Thing.Sap consists of 5 tracks: Brother, Got Me Wrong, Right Turn, Am I Inside, Love Song.Dirt consists of 13 tracks: Them Bones, Dam That River, Rain When I Die, Down in a Hole, Sickman, Rooster, Junkhead, Dirt, God Smack, Iron Gland, Hate to Feel, Angry Chair, Would?Jar of Flies consists of 7 tracks: Rotten Apple, Nutshell, I Stay Away, No Excuses, Whale \u0026 Wasp, Don't Follow, Swing on This.Self-titled consists of 12 tracks: Grind, Brush Away, Sludge Factory, Heaven Beside You, Head Creeps, Again, Shame in You, God Am, So Close, Nothin' Song, Frogs, Over NowThe MTV Unplugged performance consisted of 13 songs: Nutshell, Brother, No Excuses, Sludge Factory, Down In A Hole, Angry Chair, Rooster, Got Me Wrong, Heaven Beside You, Would?, Frogs, Over Now, The Killer Is Me. Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro recently tweeted about late Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley and Layne's girlfriend Demri Parrott, who died in 1996. However, they decided to break up after a few years while people were waiting for an announcement about their wedding. Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed. On April 4, 2002, Starr, high on benzodiazepine, offered to call 911. His comments given to Rubio show that Staley was aware that his mortality was on the horizon and had accepted his fate. Layne: Im okay, though. Rumors began circulating that he had lost an arm to gangrene. "position": 2, Survivors include her mother . When [Dirt] came out, the thing did not leave my CD player, Godsmack singer Sully Erna told Cross in Rolling Stone. asi: 'theadengine.com', ver: '1.0', Staley created a personal shrine in the recording studio featuring a dead puppy in a jar that he used for inspiration as he crooned lyrics like "Stick your arm for some real fun.". The last time Kathleen Austin Demris mother saw Layne was in 1997. } ,{ But Staley wouldnt see or talk to his bandmate. On top of this, Staley had lost his ability to ingest food and survived off supplements for the last few years of his life. Dirt, in particular, became an important touchstone. ,{ .addService(googletag.pubads()); Its okay! "position": 4, Thats terrible, Mom. Whether you believe it or not, it's a hauntingly beautiful story. This actually isnt much of a departure from the sound of Alice In Chains 1.0, which was steeped in the undead Southern-rock harmonies of Staley and Cantrell. Cover for 'Alice and Chains: The Untold Story,' by David de Sola. But his love of Tommy Lee wasn't the only reason he swapped out his middle name. Layne: Nothing. "I believe that there's a wonderful place to go to after this life, and I don't believe in eternal damnation for anyone," he said to Rolling Stone in 1996. Addiction was a constant throughout Staleys short life, which he tried his hardest to break out from but sadly didnt make it, and his music serves as a memory of his distinct talent. Its a very difficult thing to explain. Layne told Wright, Wow, I get to perform again. Wright was preparing to fly up to Seattle to prepare the studio for Laynes return to recording when he got the called that he had died. .build(); From the start of Dirt, youre trapped in Staleys skin, and for the next 50 minutes there will be no escape. According to "sources close to the band," Staley lost his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend, Demri Parrott, to a heroin overdose later that same year. They broke up, in part because she couldn't accept his relentless womanizing. He looked like an 80-year-old version of himself, Seattle music journalist Jeff Gilbert told Prato. My strengths and my talent are my title," he said. Me? function(bids) { On the other, Staley's affair with heroin got serious fast. After a year in stores, it was selling 50,000 copies a week, eventually going on to sell 6 million. I know Im dying, he starkly told Rubio. "The opioid explosion in recent years tells me that people feel alone," she says. The frontman was fighting his addiction and wanted to get clean many times by entering rehabs or finding other ways to live a healthier life, however, he died due to a speedball overdose on April 5, 2002. "name": "Deep Cuts" Staley had actually died on April 5, 2002 eight years to the day after fellow Grunge rock frontman Kurt Cobain had taken his own life but his body wasn't found until April 19,according to Ultimate Classic Rock. *Rain When I Die. "@type": "ListItem", googletag.enableServices(); Forrest had gained a reputation at the time as being someone who could communicate with addicts, he had helped Frusciante get clean in 1997. (Instrumental), She Was My Girl, Pig Charmer, Anger Rising, S.O.S., Give It a Name, Thanks Anyways, 31/32.Brighten (Jerry Cantrell solo record) consists of 9 tracks: Atone, Brighten, Prism of Doubt, Black Hearts and Evil Done, Siren Song, Had to Know, Nobody Breaks You, Dismembered, Goodbye.PAYPAL: https://bit.ly/2RlNUWCWHAT IS CLASSIC ROCK? "item": { "name": "Rock Features" Hide the drugs!' According to David de Solas book Alice In Chains: The Untold Story, Layne Staley believed that the ghost of his late girlfriend Demri Parrott visited him just days before his April 2002 death. "name": "Home" As an act of first-person journalism from the depths of hell, Dirt has few equals in rock history. That same year, Alice In Chains played its final shows with Staley, performing on MTV Unplugged in Aprilthe bands first concert in three yearsand several dates with the newly reunited Kiss, ending with a gig in Kansas City on July 3, 1996. There was a stash of cocaine and two crack pipes on the table. .defineSizeMapping(mapping2) There would be occasional sightings of Staley after that with open sores on his arms. She was of Native American (Cherokee), Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, and Swiss-German descent. After that, I dont think he wanted to go on., He died because he wished he had done right by the one person he knew for sure loved him for the poor butt rocker he was when he met her and hed be the first to admit it.. Although they were no longer together, Staley was clearly devastated by the news. If you are interested in promoting your band/music email altnationadvertising @gmail.com, Layne Staleys Haunting Wedding That Never Was Will Break Your Heart, Why Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers & Smashing Pumpkins Are Haunted By Ghosts, 10 Candidates To Fill In For Eddie Vedder On Temple of the Dog Tour, Adele Melts Down At Las Vegas Show In Photo, Jessica Simpson Is Exploding Out Of Top In Photo, Pearl Jam Member Reveals Truth About Tom Sizemore, Travis Scott Alleged Victim Leaks Hospital Video. Money, status, nothing to me, Staley sings, though thats not completely trueits the money and status that allow him to live this way. Staley's final public performance was in Kansas City, Mo., in 1996. Sublime proved to be an ideal band for a generation that approached rock music with an irreverent, hip-hop-inspired sensibility. "name": "10 Surprising Stories About Layne Staley’s Reclusive Years" Alice in Chains was opening for Van Halen on tour in 1991 when Staley, prompted by Parrott,. The most vocal haters of the new Sublime were from Bradley Nowells family, which issued a statement in 2009 chastising Gaugh and Wilson for carrying on the band name without their original singer and friend. On one hand, the two bands got up to some hilarious business pranking each other. The two had argued over Staley's condition until Staley threatened to end the friendship if Starr reached out to the authorities. This portable projector plays your movies in crisp, high-contrast, 1080p detailno matter where you are. Parrott, too, was a heavy drug user and fatally overdosed on October 29, 1996. Although he'd lived as a recluse for years, former Alice in Chains bassist Michael Starr who Diffuser says blamed himself for Staley's death claimed on an episode of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew"that he was the last person to see Staley alive. "itemListElement": [ (Rolling Stone later noted that the heroin-related death of touring Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin that July garnered more coverage than Nowells death.) He'd been dead for weeks, still cradling a full syringe of heroin. Ive never heard someones voice hit the tape like that. Forrest called back Staleys mother Nancy and told her that theyd try to help him, though he told her he didnt know if itd work. He was already pretty reclusive in 1996, but after her death, there were only three recordings that I know of (Despiseley Brothers, 2 AIC songs, and a Pink Floyd cover for a movie soundtrack). googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_content_2', [[336,280],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-4') We talked for a little and when we parted ways, I cried., This wasnt the last time Gallagher saw Staley. Eventually, his father managed to stop using. 4. I felt so sad for him, and I missed him. Two years later, Alice In Chains briefly reunited to record the songs Get Born Again and Died for a boxed set. .addSize([990, 200], [[728, 90], [970, 90], [970, 250]]) The singer spoke about how he went on a journey when he was 16 to find his father, but what he discovered made him not want to look any further. However, she goes on to say that her late son was "shocked to find that God isn't going to dig you out of every tunnel that you put yourself in to. Next Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney told Greg Prato in the book Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History Of Seattle Rock Music that Staley had long resigned himself to an early grave: Layne told me straight up, Im never coming back. Hes wearing gold Elvis sunglasses and talking about partying with the other bands on tour and hanging with champion skateboarder Remy Stratton. "position": 3, Staley's girlfriend, Demri Lara Parrott, started shooting smack and Alice in Chains got famous. 7/19/94. A year after his death, a rare interview emerged with Staley that he'd given with Argentinean writer and music fan Adriana Rubio, titled Layne Staley: Angry Chair A Look Inside the Heart and Soul of an Incredible Musician. Then, Staley said his dad reached out. This past Saturday was the 20th anniversary of the death of Demri Parrott, Layne Staley's ex-fiance. Staley and Parrott were no longer together when she died; because she lacked Staleys rock-star bank account, Parrott was reduced to living out a conventional junkie death, finally prostituting herself in order to score drug money. Sean Kinney, Layne Staley, Mike Starr and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains during an In-Store record promotion in Los Angeles in September 1990. By the time Staley actually was a star, he traded in the poufy-haired bravado of glam for the vein-popping gutter grime of Alice In Chains.