When I got there, Layne answered the door and he was back to the old Layne. It took Layne Staley, Alice in Chains' lead singer, a while longer to kill himself with a speedball. "It's heartbreaking and overwhelming and unnecessary." Alternative Nation published a similar article in September 2014, but we are now publishing a new version with a couple of new stories. "position": 2, Whether or not he still spoke to his bandmates was also up for debate. .addSize([0, 0], [[300, 250], [336, 280]]) Austin got that bear back after it was found in Laynes things after his death. 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. Staley was playing video games while they talked, and pretended to listen according to Forrest. Next } Who Was With Demri Parrott When She Died? - FAQS Clear "@type": "ListItem", Sublime proved to be an ideal band for a generation that approached rock music with an irreverent, hip-hop-inspired sensibility. And then, our neighbor sold him a drum set, and he changed his middle name to Thomas, because he admired Tommy Lee.". The two were allegedly watching a show called "Crossing Over," which is about a psychic medium that helps connect loved ones to deceased relatives. So it is that Alice in Chains, with its influential blend of heavy metal and grunge, which plays on. After a year in stores, it was selling 50,000 copies a week, eventually going on to sell 6 million. During those years, Staley became a recluse and barely left his apartment. 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. { Staley sightings became increasingly rare, and rumors circulated that the singer was wasting away in his Seattle apartment, doing nothing but drugs, painting, and playing video games to pass the time. It's too late. 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. .build(); pubID: '434bb5e4-3704-4b75-b36c-785a444462bd', Parrott, too, was a heavy drug user and fatally overdosed on October 29, 1996. "itemListElement": [ sid: '1366', 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 . } She looks very similar to Staley's longtime girlfriend and eventual fianc Demri Parrott. "item": { ", It's hard to tell if Staley would agree or disagree with his mom's take. In April 1997, Sublime entered the Billboard Top 20. Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley had one of the mightiest voices in rock history and alongside Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, among others was one of the greatest figures to come out of the grunge movement that originated in his native Seattle, Washington. The end everyone saw coming had finally arrived. "In 5thgrade, he [Staley] borrowed his Uncle Bob's trumpet, so that was his first instrument," said Nancy McCallum, Staley's mother, according to Northwest Music Scene. simplerGPT: true, The memories alone give me a contact high. Dope sick hurts the entire body. ROCK IS DEAD? }); Thats terrible, Mom. }, "It was only five or six shows, and by the end of the last one, it was cops, ambulances, and, 'Get on the plane! Self: 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Layne was very into his artwork during his later years, frequently buying art supplies that were scattered around his home. David de Sola writes that Staley would fly into a minor rage whenever someone referred to him by that name. 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). But the loss still crushed him. Well, what have you got? My biggest dream is to become a world-renowned writer. function(bids) { Her death also led to the end of Layne when he shut the world out and later died in 2002 at 34. Ten weeks after Nowells funeral, Sublimes label, Geffen, went forward with plans to release the bands new record, though the original title, Killin It, was understandably ditched. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_content_3', [[336,280],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-5') She says she hopes that her son's music will shed light on the disease of addiction that ultimately took his life. 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. Yes, Staley had been experiencing heroin addiction for years by the time this 1995 article which was titled "Alice In Chains' Layne Staley: Needle and Damage Done" came out. dawn to dusk. Im not going to quit doing drugs. .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) Layne Staley | | The Guardian Hes always been dead as far as most people are concerned. .addService(googletag.pubads()); 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. 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. Throughout, Cantrells off-kilter, shotgun-blast-to-the-intestines guitar work acts as a queasy counterpoint to Staleys dead-man-walking howling. He was down in a hole so deep he couldnt hope to hit bottom. I'm telling you: Demri was here." The Book Of Rock Lists gave Aces death most spectacular distinction based on a piece of mistaken information, repeating the legend that the shadowy balladeer killed himself during a game of Russian roulette played backstage at the City Auditorium in Houston between holiday shows with Big Mama Thornton. .addSize([990, 200], [[728, 90], [970, 90], [970, 250]]) Topics Demri Lara PARROTT Left this world October 29, 1996; born in Bremerton, Wa, on Feb 22, 1969 and attended school in Arlington. Courtney Love tried to chase him down following Cobain's death. But that was contingent on him having the energy and focus to be able to work, and I guess that didnt materialize., 5. Following his death in 2002, Screaming Trees frontman told Rolling Stone, He never recovered from Demris death. "itemListElement": [ She claims her daughter had come "to be there with Layne as he's doing his transition." The story of his decline began on July 3, 1996, after Staley left the stage following a warm-up set for KISS. However, that defensiveness had nothing to do with personal embarrassment. According to Greg Pratos Grunge is Dead and Mark Yarms Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge, many of Laynes rocker friends refused to give up on him and still tried to see him during his reclusive years. But as far as the public was concerned, Staley lived out the rest of his doomed existence as the ghost of grunges skeezy past. The show goes on, but Layne Staley and Bradley Nowell are still in the spotlight. Staley and Parrott, by then his fiance, went to rehab together at least once. googletag.cmd.push(function(){ Layne turned a corner with two strippers into a hallway crowded with cops. }); The 20th anniversary of the death of late Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staleys girlfriend Demri Parrott was over the weekend. } I know why youre here. You and me., 7. (Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage). It was Brads expressed intention that no one use the name Sublime in any group that did not include him, the family said, and Brad even registered the trademark Sublime under his own name. A subsequent lawsuit forced Gaugh and Wilson to tour as Sublime With Rome, but in the end they won out over Nowells family where it mattered, finally having the ability to play for the millions of people who bought Sublime records in the years after Nowells death. ver: '1.0', "position": 2, Days passed before his accountant sent up an alert that Staley hadn't been withdrawing any money. { 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. Along with Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains was a primary grunge-era influence on the post-grunge bands that ruled modern-rock radio from the late 90s onward. He seriously, seriously hated "Rutherford." 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. No one would ever see him alive again. apstag.init({ But everyone starts somewhere. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Rooster is a spooky character study about Cantrells father fighting off demons from the Vietnam War, but it also applied to Staleys own drawn-out, unwinnable conflict. Band manager Susan Silver told Staley that he had to be the one to break it to ticket buyers that the concert was going to end midperformance because he was too screwed up to carry on. 5. . Mar 14, 2016. Around 1999/2000, Bob Forrest and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante tried to help Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley get clean. 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). melisaiscan@rockcelebrities.net, When Neil Young Found A Way To Communicate His Son With Disabilities, Inside Of The Third Eye Blind: Departures, Net Worths, And Conspiracy Theories, How Journey Fans Were Divided By Neal Schon And Arnel Pineda Feud, Paul Stanley Appreciates Gene Simmons Overcoming His Biggest Fear For Him, Top Five Best Counting Crows Songs Of All Time, James Hetfield To Share The Screen With Peter Dinklage In Dark Western Thriller, Rob Halford Believes Ozzy Osbourne Needs Support After His Difficult Decision, Neal Schon Reacts To Arnel Pineda Fans Accusations, Total Bullsh*t, Nikki Sixx Applauds Selena Gomez For Her Courage, Ted Nugent Believes Americans Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves, Paul Stanley Reveals Gene Simmons Real Character Beyond KISS Persona. Demri Lara Parrott Murphy (February 22nd 1969 - October 29th 1996) was an American model, artist, and muse, and an amateur actress, girlfriend and later fiancee of Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley . I never wanted [the publics] thumbs up about this fucking drug use. "@type": "ListItem", The lesson of Black Gives Way To Blue, at least as it applies to the SoCal pot-rock band Sublime, is that there really is life after death in 90s rock, provided you can retain enough of your old sound to convince people to move forward with you. "Don' try to talk about this to my sister Liz. Whats going on. A syringe loaded with a fresh supply of heroin sat in his hand; a used needle lay at his feet. Layne Thomas Staley wasn't born Layne Thomas Staley. The story of Sublime is one of the strangest and most tragic tales in all of 90s rock. Demri Lara Parrott, 27, of Bremerton died Oct. 29, 1996, at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. Layne Went To A House Party And Hung Out With Ann Wilson, In the Heart book Kicking and Dreaming, Ann Wilson revealed that Layne attended a party at her home around 1999. I was about 20, and music became my only obsession to stay alive, he said. Rare pictures show her to be dark-featured and pretty, with long black hair and dark eyes. Where some of the records might have been more Scarface, this one is more Shawshank Redemption.. Club tells us, the year 1996 seems to have marked the start of his slow, sad downfall. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_sidebar_1', [[300,600],[300,1050],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-7') Dirt by Alice in Chains (CD, 1992) New but case has a crack ", At this point, Staley was too weak to fight on and admitted to having accepted that the drug would get the better of him sooner or later. Search for Bradley Nowell videos on YouTube and youll find a smattering of interview clips recorded a year or so before he died. Then, two things changed. "item": { An appearance at Cypress Hills Smokeout Festival followed in October, and the bands first tour commenced in April 2010. The autopsy later revealed that the next day Staley plunged a speedball into his vein. I changed my number. Gold Standard: Oscars edition - Best Director. The pain is more than you can handle. Demri Parrott had an encounter with Katina Bonita Evangeline (1991). Layne and Mark Lanegan Discussed Collaborating, We talked about [working together] from time to time, Mark Lanegan told CDNow in April 2002. } He was 44 years old. }, Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Courtney Love, center, tried to chase down Staley following the death of Kurt Cobain (r.), to see if he might've known something about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Cobain's death. ), the No. Zack de la Rocha had quit Rage Against The Machine just a few months prior, and his bandmates were looking for a new singer. *Rain When I Die. Although they were no longer together, Staley was clearly devastated by the news. The book says that former Alice bassist Mike Starr was visiting Staley the day before the singer's death. Does taking Russian roulette out of the equation make Aces death any less spectacular? To anyone with a passing knowledge of Staleys life and music, his downfall played out like the worst kind of endingdistasteful, depressing, and all too predictable. In 2009, Alice In Chains released Black Gives Way To Blue, its first album of original material in 14 years. } "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/category/rock/", Demri Parrott was engaged to Layne Staley (1992 - 1994). googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_sidebar_1', [[300,600],[300,1050],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-7') Eventually, his father managed to stop using. sid: '1366', To their shock and dismay, the two addicts discovered there was almost an excess of cocaine to be had in Brazil but no smack. Demri Parrott Remembered. I didn't create myself because I would have done a hell of a better job.". She said after most of the crowd left at night Layne was still there, and she wanted to go swimming so Layne followed her to the pool. They are not my friends.. Just as Alice in Chains became famous, Staley's girlfriend, Demri Lara Parrott, introduced him to heroin. It's hard enough to lose a child. Kinney, though, continued to have fun the old-fashioned way on the Shi--y Cities tour in 1992. 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. However, they decided to break up after a few years while people were waiting for an announcement about their wedding. Tough-guy posturing linked hip-hop with hard rock, and it would come to define the rap-rock hybrid that dominated mainstream rock radio in the late 90s. He wanted a teddy bear that Demri had had with her in hospital. Demri Lara Parrott (1969 - 1996) - Genealogy I don't live his lifestyle, so his house isn't the healthiest place to be around. Demri Parrott - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family | Sticky Facts Following Parrotts death, its rumored that she was the one who introduced Layne Staley to the drugs during their relationship. On April 5, 2002, Layne Staley took a speedball a combination of cocaine and heroin and passed away (via Diffuser). Demri Parrott was an American artist who was born on February 22, 1969. He wasn't really into the trumpet, but the drums he loved. In the end, his dad found him. "position": 1, Back in those days, the band lived in abject poverty, "obsessed with getting p---y and who they were f-----g.". An updated version of The Book Of Rock Lists would probably be topped by Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the former Pantera guitarist who was gunned down onstage by a crazed fan during a performance with his band Damageplan on Dec. 8, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. Hide the drugs!' According to a transcript of a 2002 Rolling Stone article, Layne Staley spent the final years of his life in reclusive isolation, with nothing but his drugs to keep him company. At the time of her death she had already had a pacemaker implanted due to the damage caused by using dirty needles to inject heroine. I had the chance to throw out all this anger by the music in order to help others. I had the chance to throw out all this anger by the music in order to help others. I invested a lot of money on treatments. Very little is known of Demri Parrott, except that she was practically worshiped by her fianc, Layne Staley. 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. { var mapping2 = googletag.sizeMapping() Dirt, in particular, became an important touchstone. Demri Parrott - Biography - IMDb timeout: 2000 }, Formed in 1988, Sublime made its name by playing surf towns up and down the California coast, honing a feel-good blend of punk, hip-hop, and ska informed by Nowells multicultural upbringing in Long Beach. Demri was born in Bremerton, Kitsap County, Washington, in the United States of America's Pacific Northwest. Tom Morello later claimed that he had no recollection of ever speaking to Staley about auditioning for Audioslave, so this could be a case of Gallagher misremembering the conversation, and it having more been about Staley considering the idea of calling up the former Rage Against The Machine members. timeout: 2000 }, "item": { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", He showed up in the recording studio toothless, emaciated and looking like an 80-year-old man. He never made it, so Chris Cornell went and got the job.. .defineSizeMapping(mapping2) .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) .addService(googletag.pubads()); She did not use heroin until with him. He had just gotten pretty much the entire Nerf arsenal, so we went to war. It was love at first sight. and "Them Bones" unless you've got deep wells of pain to draw from for inspiration. 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. Dirt plugs you into the day-to-day slog of one addicts life; even if you don't connect with the record, you still cant help but feel a dull ache in your bones and the sting of rancid sickness in your nostrils. Staley wasnt the sort to hedge his bets when it came to calling his own drug-related death. "@type": "ListItem", On top of this, Staley had lost his ability to ingest food and survived off supplements for the last few years of his life. But soon he was caught in an inescapable trap that led to his premature death in 2002. Harder still,Nancy McCallumtold The Seattle Times that she still gets flooded with emails and letters from people all over who are experiencing addiction or love someone who is. 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. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_content_2', [[336,280],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-4') The two had argued over Staley's condition until Staley threatened to end the friendship if Starr reached out to the authorities. .addSize([990, 200], [[728, 90], [970, 90], [970, 250]]) But his love of Tommy Lee wasn't the only reason he swapped out his middle name. They are not my friends.". Demri's obituary. } "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/10-surprising-stories-about-layne-staleys-reclusive-years/", Guns not loaded, see? Tillman recalled Ace saying as he pointed it at his head and, with a smile, pulled the trigger. { Pick it up, this is a classic. { The single Down In A Hole is a pained expression of romantic loss that became a metaphor for chemical longing in Staleys hands.