In 1987 my most influential rock band originated in Seattle, as many bands did in that period known as the grunge era. Led by two front men Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell, Alice in Chains became one of the most influential and ageless bands. Although their reign was short lived due to the death of Layne in 2002, who lost his battle against heroin. Each member in the group brought something special to the band, though the inspirational lyrics Layne sang about will never again be heard, forcing the band to break up and pursue other musical careers. Alice in Chains needed four key elements/people to keep producing music, and without each of them there was no point in continuing. .
The first and probably the most significant element would be Layne Staley, who sang vocals. Staley wrote most of the lyrics for Alice in Chains, using his troubled childhood and unjustifiable drug abuse as his inspirations. With his raspy voice and motivating lyrics Staley helped bring grunge music to its peak in the early 90's. Later his death would bring an end to the band and their unforgettable music.
The next key member in the band is Jerry Cantrell. Jerry played lead guitar and co-wrote some of their most influential songs. Jerry's main musical background started when he was 13 years old playing guitar. Jerry's inspiration came from his lonely childhood and his father being gone during the Vietnam War, later he wrote a song about his father's experience and dubbing him the name "Rooster." This later became one of Alice in Chains most well known songs.
The drummer of the band is Sean Kinney, who has been playing with the group since day one. He got his first musical start in his grandfather's band "The Cross Cats," when he was nine years old. Sean brought the enthusiasm to the group with his sense of humor and his off the wall personality.
The final member of the group is Mike Inez who played bass. Mike Inez was actually the second bassist for Alice in Chains replacing Mike Starr who had differences with the band.