In 1984, he joined a group of high school students in a band called Sleze, which made a cameo appearance in a low-budget public access documentary called 'Father Rock.' A glam band is basically a rock band that imitates the flamboyant stage persona of David Bowie, Slade, and other rock bands that wore makeup. He also played in several 'glam bands' during this time. He started singing with a rhythm band and was playing drums by the time he was twelve.

According to several biographies, he knew by the time he was nine years old that he wanted to be a signer. Staley was a product of a broken home and never completed his high school education, but music became an outlet for him to express himself and channel his emotions through melodies. There were even rumors that Alice in Chains got signed with Columbia Records after Nirvana’s Nevermind album became a big hit. He also has a knack for writing lyrics that were dark and emotional and his songwriting and singing complemented each other and gave Alice in Chains its own special sound.Īlthough he wasn’t as famous as Cobain, he was still a major figure in the Seattle grunge scene. His distinct and grimy vocals brought life to their music. In AIC, Staley’s voice was the one that everyone heard. Staley was known for his harmonizing style and tenor singing. Staley might’ve lived a longer life than his counterpart but there are many who feel that he was also the better vocalist. He’s known as the grunge version of Kurt Cobain. He was part of one of the most influential bands to come out of Seattle during the early 90s, Alice in Chains.ĪIC was grunge personified and its frontman, Staley, is also famous. No one can talk about the grunge movement without mentioning the name of Layne Staley.

Layne unplugged