Talk:Layne Staley

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Contents

[edit] Introduction To Talk Page

Please cite any sources you show on this page properly using the ref scheme an example of which can be found on the main article.

Please remember the following:

[edit] References

[edit] Plagiarised content that is unsigned

Sitting here listening to Layne sing his songs and realized its around the time we lost him a few years ago on april 19th 2002. I sure do miss knowing there was a possibility for new material from him and his bands, and mostly just wish he would have gotten better and survived. I just despise how sick he had been and wish he didnt have to go through it too. But I wanted to add some positive quotes and thoughts if i could about Layne because from what ive read man he really seemed like a great guy and kind and warm hearted. It makes me cry thinking about an article i read about how his family had last seen him at a birthday party for his little niece where he was HAPPY and videotaping the event himself and having a nice time. I sure wish everyone could be happy and not sad. But it sure is hard isnt it? not an easy thing sometimes. Alright ive said my peace and hope everyone who reads this has some more understanding into how Layne should mostly be portrayed as a kind fellow who was battling disease. But mostly a kind fellow please :0 peace to everyone, evil eddie eyebrow

To Layne, Hope your at peace, Thank you for the music brother :) R.I.P Layne Staley some quotes: "Layne was a hell of a guy," said his father, Phil Staley. "I've watched him outside of concerts sign hundreds and hundreds of autographs. I'd say, 'C'mon, let's go already,' but he'd stay for the longest time. He didn't want to turn anybody down." (Editor's Note: This story has been altered since original publication to correct the identification of Phil Staley.)

The family knew Layne Staley had "a demon," his father said. "Believe me, we ached along with him every day."

Statement from Don Ienner, Chairman, Columbia Records Group:

"I am incredibly saddened by Layne's passing. His voice, lyrics and powerful presence were such a big part of what made Alice in Chains so special. On behalf of everyone at Columbia and Sony Music, I offer my condolences to Layne's family, friends and his millions of fans the world over. We have all lost a gifted artist and a great friend." Layne's family has requested that contributions may be made in Layne's name to: Eastside Recovery Center 1412 140th Place NE Bellevue, WA 98007

[edit] date diff

can anybody easily clear up the date problem in the article? the article states that layne was found on 19 april, and later says that eddie vedder's song "4/20/02" is for "the day Staley's body was found". i'll research if necessary. just hoping it's not. SaltyPig 12:13, 3 August 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps he was found on the 19th, but not identified until the 20th? That's a nice little tidbit in the article about his body being rotten and decomposed... is that really necessary? --me His girlfriend Stephani would give her life for him but he chose herion over her. I think she was the most important person in his life (although they had no sexual relations) for years but could not save him.

dunno, but it sure puts a perspective on it. he was such a great dude — one of the few people i've shed tears over when gone. was glad to know the real details when i heard he'd left us, to know better what kind of life he was living at the end. SaltyPig 01:17, 5 August 2005 (UTC)
"4/20/02" is the day the news broke and Eddie Vedder heard of it.


The ME estimated that Layne passed away on 4/5. His body was discovered on 4/19. Eddie was informed of Layne's passing on 4/20. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Machel131 (talkcontribs) 23:54, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Decomposed

His body was not decomposed or rotten, his mother has posted on the internet about it. > http://www.antimusic.com/news/05/april/16.shtml Quote: "Another thought on this subject. I believe it is just as imperative to remember the talent and legacy as I do the cause of death for both of these young men. Their ends have nothing in common. If we ignore the end it will happen again and again. The Hollocaust Musem's admonition is, "Never Forget". We can work for recovery in every area of our indiviual and communal lives. I work to raise awareness and funds for heroin recovery. Please visit laynestaleyfund.com.

Layne's body was completely recognizable. Predictable changes had occurred. He was thin. I sat with him, and talked quietly. I share this information, so that the picture you paint can be corrected. " And his body was discovered the 20th not 19th. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Xuchilbara (talkcontribs) 03:56, 5 July 2006

He was found on the 19th. Sources:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=10557
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453520/20020420/alice_in_chains.jhtml?headlines=true
He was positively identified on the 20th. -- ChrisB 04:34, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

You can read the police reports on the internet with a little searching. His body was extremely decomposed, as anyone would be at a warm room temperature for 2-3 weeks. The reports also state that he was, "obviously deceased." Whenever they have to bring out the dental records to identify a body, the body is obviously not recognizable. - Wikipedia newbie, --71.233.60.113 00:27, 22 December 2006 (UTC)


Check the date of the post 71.233.60.113. Xuchilbara 03:14, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] References

Following the link to the only reference results in the Seattle Times login page. Should it be removed? Sevenspade 00:18, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Wanted content

Could anyone get any information on the earlier bands he was involved in? There was Sleeze and the name "Alice 'N Chains" was used by one of his former bands, I believe. There needs to be some about his work for the The Faculty soundtrack and definitely some more about Mad Season. Sevenspade 00:18, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

  • I second that. I don't know much about Staley or Alice in Chains; otherwise I'd do it myself. --buck 19:14, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

The article makes it look like Staley dropped off the face of the earth from 1996 until his death in 2002. It does not mention his involvement with Get Born Again, his diminishing appearance in Unplugged in 1996 or anything else that he did between 1996-2002. Flyerhell 07:36, 30 November 2005 (UTC)

Layne was also involved with "Diamond Lie". They were also called "Fuck" for a short period of time and would hand out condoms that had"Fuck: The Band" written on them. I just registered and I'm working on updating the Layne Staley article as well as the Alice in Chains article. I'm going to contact Layne's mom Nancy to verify some info if need be. I'll update you guys as I get my stuff organized. Jason Scalia 16:36, 3 March 2006 (UTC)

Very prompt...--Manboobies 01:51, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

Layne Staley really didn't do that much from 1996 until his death. He recorded the songs "died" and "Get Born Again" for the music bank box set. He shot heroin until he died. He weighed 90 pounds when he died from all the drugs he did.. After a while, when he could no longer purchase drugs himself he would pay other people to go out and do it for him.

[edit] Edit

Edited the section detailing Staley's vocal range, streamlining it and removing extraneous material, as well as formatting it to fit the rest of the article. Typically, the subject of an article is first fully named, then referenced by last name, i.e., Staley. 3/26/06 71.198.156.31 04:07, 27 March 2006 (UTC)MLY.

The material is not extraneous, much of it was there because unsourced claims such as the way it now reads must be deleted from an article. Specific points in songs must be referenced. Even in a 3 minute song that's a lot of notes, with no way for the non-musical to determine where the specified note may be. Comparisons to Cobain are also worth placing as Cobain was influenced, and indeed influential on the Grunge scene as a whole, and comparisons using facts are warranted in the article. And sign up for an account. --Manboobies 01:28, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
Additionally this article is short (too short) and does not need to be 'streamlined'. Also several featured articles are over the 32KB limit - so even 32KB is not too large and this article in no way exceeds that. I have taken on board your concerns on the forename, it has been changed to Staley.--Manboobies 01:37, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] sweet Steph

Sweet Steph - His close friend Steph (Lyngard) would have given her life for him but he chose herion over her. They apparently had no sexual connection (?) (most likely due to his condition) but were closer than two people could be (as Layne stated in a "Guitar Magazine" article. He pushed her away to be alone but she still stayed in contact via phone as she had to move back to the East Coast. I think she was the most important person in his life during his latter years. The song, "Heaven Beside You" is credited in the albumns liner notes to have been written for her. He claims she was a muse to him but she could not help him get away from his addictions. The song inspiration is also stated in several interviews with Layne and at his final professional appearance at the MTV Unplugged Concert, he dedicated the song to her. His quote at the appearance,"I cannot apologize more to my dear friend Steph but know she will always be with me either on Heaver on Earthh - this song is for and written for her, my one true gift and thank you." I would love to pick her brain as she was in touch with him during the time near his death.

edit: not one word of that is true. whoever wrote it is a moron

Heaven Beside you was written by Jerry I do believe. I don't think theres any truth in those statements. Xuchilbara (talk) 06:32, 27 December 2007 (UTC) Yes, Jerry wrote Heaven Beside You. The entire Sweet Steph paragraph is untrue.

[edit] Readily Identified????

"readily identified by..."  ??? he had been dead for days...perhaps weeks!!!! EVERY news article I have read states that his body was so decomposed at the time of discovery that 'positive' identification was delayed until the medical examiner reported. I realize that the truth is probably problematic and traumatic for his close friends/family.  :Layne was found 14 days after his death, so it is true that he was decomposed and not identified at first. --Stonesour025 20:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)




Posted by nancylaynesmom: Layne's body was completely recognizable. Predictable changes had occurred. He was thin. I sat with him, and talked quietly. I share this information, so that the picture you paint can be corrected. }} [1] It might not constitute as a exact citation, but if the decomposing rumour keeps coming up on this article, I will ask a citation for that, so far I have never seen that reported. I would think after the cops came and busted his door down because of his family's for concern of his fleeting health, in his condo no less, that it was probaly pretty obvious who was lying on that couch. And by what nancy is saying she talked to him, obviously she knew it was her son. Also he had two tatts that would make him readily indentafiable. I think common sense can tell you what's true here.Xuchilbara 04:31, 13 November 2006 (UTC)


Xuchilbara 03:01, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Introduction

I saw that the introduction was missing, that is commonly found on most wiki pages, so I added one. --Stonesour025 21:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't intend this to bash the person who wrote the intro. I also don't know enough about Layne Staley to write the introduction myself, so I have little room to complain; this is intended as constructive criticism. But my first impression of the introduction is that it lacks objectivity and none of the statements of fact are cited. The writing style doesn't match the rest of the article or Wikipedia in general. It sounds as though it were written from the perspective of a fan, not a biographer. I don't believe that this article is the place for an idealized story of his life. If the information in the intro cannot be backed up by citations it should be removed or drastically condensed. I would prefer to leave this open for discussion and allow a more seasoned member to make the change, which is why I have not made it myself. Allen p 14:20, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Photo

The photo was removed, and I put it back up. I believe it falls under the fair use guidelines for a Promotional Photograph. daleki 02:14, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Alice in Chains

it says the band name was changed directly to "Alice in Chains", but I think it was changed to "Alice n' Chain(z)" first



[edit] Additional info

—Tim11 16:57, 5 December 2006 (UTC) I recently added some more info from my research from the following sites:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1470138/20030225/story.jhtml http://www.visionentertainment.com/angrychair/html/layne.html

[edit] References

Is this a valid source [2]? I find it doubtful. It's also full of typos and grammer problems. Also someone needs to update[3], it's dead.

Xuchilbara 03:44, 9 March 2007 (UTC)


No, I'd say that [2] is NOT a valid source. Every line on that site is taken from Rubio's book. This book is not endorsed by Laynes family or friends. Many of them claim that the so called "final interview" is not authentic. Rubio claims to have the taped conversation but refuses to release the tapes to validate the interview. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Machel131 (talkcontribs) 23:52, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Layne Staley

He Has A Son HE iS 17..................................... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.120.23.79 (talk) 14:12, 28 March 2007 (UTC).


Sure. Can you provide proof of this?Xuchilbara 03:06, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Paragraph removal

An anon, i.p. 65.35.95.184 , has just removed a whole paragraph that was tagged as original research. Any opinion? --Doktor Who 23:15, 2 April 2007 (UTC)


I'm the one who tagged it, but I didn't remove it. I have no objections to it's removal. Much of it is speculation, some of it from fans and fan sites, and some of it comes from the questionable Angry Chair book which was denounced by Layne's family and can't really be considered totally canon.

Xuchilbara 19:19, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

I fully agree with you, I almost hated it , but I haven't been enough bold to delete it. Doktor Who 20:58, 3 April 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Tension with Jerry Cantrell

Can someone please explain why the "Tension with Jerry Cantrell" section was removed? I think that section would have given further enlightment to the article. Besides I do believe the article is very interesting.--Tim11 17:05, 19 April 2007 (UTC)


Check the above section on te talk page.

Xuchilbara 20:51, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vandal.

Hmmm...did anyone happen to read the "Legacy" section? If so, how long have you guys let that slip? Please fix it NOW.

And shame on you.

71.183.84.74 21:34, 31 May 2007 (UTC)


Fixed, but remember, this is your Wikipedia as well. Tlesher 21:38, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

http://www.inreview.com/topic-34044.html Layne and Demri had daughter? Rosa... 85.23.27.198 08:50, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

"Rosa Staley Born: July 16, 1989 to Layne Staley (singer of Alice in Chains) and long time girlfriend Demri Murphy"

Funny how Nancy would mention they wanted to have kids togather, but did not. Xuchilbara (talk) 02:59, 11 December 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Layne Staley's son

I did hear some whispers that Layne and Demri both also had a son born around 1990, although I myself am not sure whether that's true or not. Can someone please provide some extra proof of Layne and Demri having an additional child besides thier daughter?

Spokenwordsegment (talk) 18:33, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

Quoting myself here again: ""Rosa Staley Born: July 16, 1989 to Layne Staley (singer of Alice in Chains) and long time girlfriend Demri Murphy"

Funny how Nancy would mention they wanted to have kids togather, but did not."

They do not have any kids togather. Nancy has mentioned this and so do some close to Layne. Demri and Layne have no children, although they had wanted to before the break up. Please, stop inquiring. Layne has no children in way whatsoever. Xuchilbara (talk) 19:28, 8 January 2008 (UTC)


[edit] Portrait request

I am thinking we should have a portrait picture / headshot for Layne Staley. I think this will improve the article's introduction.

Spokenwordsegment (talk) 16:47, 11 February 2008 (UTC)



[edit] Layne and Demri's break up

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what caused the relationship between Layne and Demri to go sour? I think this may not only give the article further enlightment, but it may also help us learn more information about this great rock god Layne Staley and his band Alice in Chains.

Spokenwordsegment (talk) 03:18, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Demri is not notable. Their break up is likewise not notable. In the '96 Rolling Stone interview Layne said they broke up because of his infidelity on tour. Xuchilbara (talk) 03:42, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Drug Addiction

Under the heading 'Drug Addiction', it says he had his liver removed.

A person cannot have their liver removed, it can be resectioned but not removed. Don't think a person would live very long if they had it removed. RazorDog (talk) 05:18, 29 March 2008 (UTC)


No, Layne did not have his liver removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Machel131 (talkcontribs) 23:43, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Layne's Mom

I recently received an email from Layne's mom Nancy. She said that there is a lot of misinformation in this article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Machel131 (talkcontribs) 17:11, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

Can she pinpoint any innacuracies as to any alledged misinformation in this article so that we can improve it? (By the way, I am not saying this to be rude or anything, but I am just kindly inquiring whether anyone can get accurate info from Layne's mom regarding her son as this may further improve the article.)


Spokenwordsegment (talk) 03:02, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

She didn't give me any information on what was inaccurate. Actually here is what she said:

Maybe someone could report that the wickipedia article is so full of misinformation that I wouldn’t know where to start to make corrections. Definitely not a source-of-fact.

N. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Machel131 (talkcontribs) 23:42, 5 June 2008 (UTC)