Alice in Chains: The Untold Story

Photographs

Scott Hunt took out this ad announcing a new rehearsal space at a warehouse in Ballard in September 1984. This was the beginning of the Music Bank.

The Rocket

Sleze and Tim Branom at London Bridge Studios, circa 1986. (Standing, left to right) Unknown woman, Tim Branom, Peter Barnes, Johnny Bacolas, and Nick Pollock. (Kneeling, left to right) Layne and an unknown man.

Nick Pollock

Sleze practicing in their first room at the Music Bank, circa 1985. (Left to right) Layne Staley, Jim Sheppard, and James Bergstrom.

Nick Pollock

Layne and Nick Pollock performing at Kane Hall with Alice ’N Chains, circa 1987. Layne is wearing the purple outfit that had once belonged to Prince, loaned to him by his girlfriend Chrissy Chacos.

Nick Pollock

Nick Pollock joining Alice in Chains (who used the name Diamond Lie at the time) onstage for “Queen of the Rodeo” during their first-ever show, which took place at Kane Hall on January 15, 1988. Mike Starr is on the right side.

Nick Pollock

These photographs, circa spring/summer of 1988, were probably taken within a few weeks or months after Layne and Demri started dating.

Courtesy of Randall Hauser

Layne, Jerry Cantrell, and Sean Kinney at London Bridge Studios working on the demo that ultimately got them signed to Columbia Records in the summer of 1988.

Courtesy of Randall Hauser

Mike Starr and Rick Parashar during the demo recording sessions. In addition to co-owning and founding London Bridge Studios and working with Alice in Chains, Parashar worked with several bands from the era, most notably Pearl Jam.

Courtesy of Randall Hauser

Layne performing in his Mohawk look. This photograph was taken during the August 11, 1988, show at the Kent Skate King attended by Diana Wilmar, where she got the idea to shoot a story about the band for KING 5.

David Fox–Fox Wilmar Productions

Alice in Chains and director Paul Rachman on the set of the “Man in the Box” video shoot in Malibu State Park, December 1990. Within six months, the video would jump-start the band’s career thanks to heavy rotation on MTV.

© Bob Gruen/www.bobgruen.com

Layne and John Baker Saunders performing with Mad Season at the Crocodile Café, April 22, 1995.

© Karen Mason-Blair/www.karenmasonblair.com

Despite difficulties during the preparations, the Unplugged show was a success. Randy Biro, Susan Silver, and Michele Anthony were in tears during “Nutshell.”

Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Layne with studio assistant Elan Trujillo, who was assigned to help him. Layne and Trujillo talked about video games, and Trujillo showed him how to use Offspring drummer Ron Welty’s electronic drum kit, August 22, 1998.

Annette Cisneros

Layne blowing out his thirty-first birthday cake while playing around on Ron Welty’s electronic drum kit, August 22, 1998.

Annette Cisneros

Alice in Chains regrouped while Jerry and Sean were touring with Metallica to record two new songs with Dave Jerden but were not able to finish with him. They had to ask Toby Wright to record the vocals in Seattle and put the songs together from the various sessions. These were the last songs Layne recorded.

Annette Cisneros

Sean and Jerry hugging after the K-ROCK Tsunami Continued Care Relief Concert, February 18, 2005. It was their first show as Alice in Chains in nearly a decade and their first since Layne’s death three years earlier.

Kevin Casey/Getty Images

Alice in Chains at the MusiCares MAP Fund benefit in 2012, where Jerry was honored for his support of the organization and helping other addicts. Jerry celebrated ten years of sobriety in July 2013.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images