High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Layne Thomas Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. The band became known for its distinct vocal style, as well as the harmonized vocals of Staley and Cantrell. Staley was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of `99. He struggled throughout his career with severe drug addiction, which caused his death in April 2002.