Music World Remembers Layne Staley

For centuries, it has not been uncommon for an artist's work to be virtually unnoticed before his or her death. Often this type of art beautifies something ugly or glorifies something destructive, allowing it to stand out among its counterparts.

This month marked the four-year anniversary of the death of Layne Staley, who perhaps was best known as the lead singer for Alice in Chains, the heavy metal band that became popular in the early '90s.

Alice in Chains first formed in Seattle, in 1987, with Layne Staley (lead vocals), Jerry Cantrell (lead guitar), Sean Kinney (drums) and Mike Starr, later to be replaced by Mike Inez (drums).

Despite the band's frequent comparison to other grunge acts, Alice in Chains had an overall heavier and darker sound than many bands of the time, fitting the group more appropriately into progressive rock.

Their debut album Facelift went gold in 1991, while Jar of Flies became the first EP to debut No. 1 on the Billboard charts, as well as going on to sell more than 2 million copies.

The band also headlined Lollapalooza in '93. They were awarded "Best Song from a Movie," that same year at the MTV Video Music Awards for the single "Would?" off the Singles soundtrack.

Being swept into the grunge movement of the '90s, it's painfully ironic that Staley's death shares an anniversary with the death of Nirvana's front man Kurt Cobain, only eight years previous.

Although there are conflicting opinions as to what truly happened to Cobain, Staley's death was no mystery.

The singer/ songwriter overdosed on cocaine and heroin in his apartment on April 5, 2002, after a long battle with addiction.

Fans witnessed Staley's addiction in lyrics of haunting songs like "Junkhead," "Down in a Hole" and "Hate to Feel," from the somber album Dirt.

Lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell even touched upon the subject of death within the lyrics of "Would?," written in memory of Mother Love Bone's Andrew Wood, a friend who had also died of a heroin overdose.

After releasing Jar of Flies, the band decided not to tour due to Staley's ongoing struggle, causing many to worry about the seriousness of his addiction.