Layne Staley!

18 years ago today, in maybe the least surprising drug related rock death since Jim Morrison, Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley died at the age of 34 from an errant speedball.

I loved Alice in Chains. That Man in the Box video haunted me and has to be in the Top 10 moments of rock discovery of my life. Alice in Chains came out of the Seattle grunge scene in 1990 and rated a probable 4th in popularity for that scene behind Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. But for me, that damned Man in the Box was first. First before Smelled Like Teen Spirit, Even Flow and Rusty Cage.

I never got to see Layne Staley live. I had tickets twice for Alice in Chains (or Allison Who to an aged ticket seller) but they cancelled both times. I did see them with a new lead singer a few years back and to be honest the new guy sounds a lot like Layne. But he's not.

I miss you Layne Staley. You were so underrated.