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. Staley then delved into his family life and how his father passed away after falling into a drug-filled route, with the two growing estranged. According to "sources close to the band," Staley lost his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend, Demri Parrott, to a heroin overdose later that same year. Both Jerry Cantrell, the other engine driving Alice in Chains, and drummer Sean Kinney openly talk about their sobriety these days, but are none too specific about the substances, other than booze, at the source of their addictions. He showed up in the recording studio toothless, emaciated and looking like an 80-year-old man. As recounted by Rick Anderson of Seattle Weekly, Staleys body was found sitting upright on the couch, his remains illuminated by a flickering television in an otherwise darkened room. In Greg Pratos Grunge is Dead, Laynes mother Nancy revealed that Layne was a video game freak. He had a big screen TV, 5 games 5 different gamers. } A year after his death, a rare interview emerged with Staley that hed given with Argentinean writer and music fan Adriana Rubio, titledLayne Staley: Angry Chair A Look Inside the Heart and Soul of an Incredible Musician. By the end of the year, that title would belong to Radiohead. I don't need any help to get annihilated.". I invested a lot of money on treatments. Its too late. Demri Parrott was famous for being the ex-fiancee of Alice in Chains frontman, Layne Staley. Demri Lara Parrott(February 22, 1969 - October 29, 1996) was best known for Demri Parrott her relationship with Layne Staley, the singer of rock band Alice in Chains. Forrest says that Staleys mind clearly still worked but that he was a million miles away., Bob: Hey Layne. .addService(googletag.pubads()); Her death also led to the end of Layne when he shut the world out and later died in 2002 at 34. "item": { pubID: '434bb5e4-3704-4b75-b36c-785a444462bd', In addition to Mark, Demris friend Ferrano agreed with him and stated that Staley died because he felt guilty about ending their relationship and not being kind to Demri who was the only person that loved him although he wasnt famous and rich back then. Nevertheless, Alice In Chains has lived on like few bands of its time, and even in death Staley is still among the most vital singers youre likely to hear on the local modern-rock station. I never wanted to end my life this way. Rare pictures show her to be dark-featured and pretty, with long black hair and dark eyes. "@type": "ListItem", .defineSizeMapping(mapping1) googletag.cmd.push(function(){ "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/", Parrott had died in October 1996. 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. } .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) Frusciante was hesitant to visit Staley because he didnt think you could really preach to somebody about getting clean, but Forrest was adamant about trying to help him. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_sidebar_1', [[300,600],[300,1050],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-7') Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready remembered this version of Staley being funny and lucid, and without a doubt he was not reluctant to be a star.. Staleys method of killing himself was slower and more painful, but ultimately no less effective. I didnt own the album because I didnt have to; if you spent time in a dorm in 1996 and 97, all you heard was Sublime, Odelay, and Dave Matthews Band. From rough beginnings to the deadly experiences with hard drugs that stole his prime and took his life to his final years as a recluse, these are the tragic details of one of rock history's greatest voices. On the rare occasions that he ventured out of his home, where he gorged on videogames whenever he wasnt gorging on drugs, Staley cut a hard figure: Abscesses covered his arms, and hed lost most of his teeth. in 1998 that he and the other guys in Alice frequently hung out with Staley at his place, playing video games and having a grand old time. } Gold Standard: Oscars edition - Best Director. "They asked if he believed in God? Hide the drugs!' 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. Who Was With Demri Parrott When She Died? - FAQS Clear Staley spent the bulk of his childhood being raised by his mom, Nancy McCallum, and her second husband, Jim Elmer, who she met at a mutual friend's Christmas party, according to David de Sola. .addService(googletag.pubads()); According to MTV, the book "Layne Staley: Angry Chair" details the AIC singer's final interview with author Adriana Rubio, an Argentinian journalist. Days passed before his accountant sent up an alert that Staley hadn't been withdrawing any money. Layne and Demri : grunge - reddit If you have a better quality version of this photo please send it! If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. "position": 4, She was around five feet tall-maybe even shorter-and was stunningly beautiful. Demri Parrott - Facts, Bio, Favorites, Info, Family | Sticky Facts In the end, his dad found him. var googletag = googletag || {}; Staley wasnt the sort to hedge his bets when it came to calling his own drug-related death. William DuVall later replaced Staley and Duff McKagan joined on rhythm guitar. Layne: Nothing. "I promised that I would always be there for my children," she said to TheSeattle Times. .addService(googletag.pubads()); She looks very similar to Staley's longtime girlfriend and eventual fianc Demri Parrott. The article notes that Jerry Cantrell had told Kerrang! Not exactly a good start to the relationship. From the start of Dirt, youre trapped in Staleys skin, and for the next 50 minutes there will be no escape. "When Sean got lit he was pretty unstoppable," a friend says. Demri Parrott - IMDb googletag.cmd.push(function() { { And demri parrott kinda introduced him to heroin, i believe the first time layne used it was in the backstage of a show when demri gave to him. 2. 7/19/94. "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/category/rock/deep-cuts/", Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed. Brown heroin stains led from the bathroom to the living room. By 1998, Staley already seemed on last legs. Mike Starr said he was going to be best man at Layne and Demri's wedding. timeout: 2000 }, Staley's girlfriend, Demri Lara Parrott, started shooting smack and Alice in Chains got famous. ] Demri Parrott - Ethnicity of Celebs | EthniCelebs.com How lucky are we to have seen that? Ann responded that it was beautiful, and Layne retorted, Do you have any idea how rare it is for a meteor that big, and that bright, to come that close to us? .addSize([0, 0], [[300, 250], [336, 280]]) "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/10-surprising-stories-about-layne-staleys-reclusive-years/", 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. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Demri Lara Parrott - Tumblr function(bids) { It's the worst pain in the world. 1 most spectacular death in rock history ended the life of singer Johnny Ace, whose biggest hit, Pledging My Love, surged to the top of the Billboard rhythm and blues chart about two months after his untimely demise on Christmas day 1954. At that point, Staley had already been to rehab after an intervention. Layne Believed Girlfriends Ghost Visited Him Just Prior To His Death. Survivors include her mother . Equally important for Sublimes success was the element of mans-man machismo, which was spelled out on the album cover depicting a hulking and shirtless Nowell standing with his back to the camera and exposing his large Sublime tattoo. The Tragic Death Of Alice In Chains' Layne Staley - Grunge.com They are not my friends.". } Demri was born in Bremerton, Kitsap County, Washington, in the United States of America's Pacific Northwest. I think maybe the percentage has been a bit inverted [on the new album]. 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. An appearance at Cypress Hills Smokeout Festival followed in October, and the bands first tour commenced in April 2010. Its the worst pain in the world. They were attached at the hip until 1994 when they split for a final time. His comments given to Rubio show that Staley was aware that his mortality was on the horizon and had accepted his fate. Hes the reason I started singing.. He never made it, so Chris Cornell went and got the job.. If it had been a novel, a good editor would have cut out all the monotonous material about Staley holing up for years in his apartment, so sick that he made his busy corps of dealers bring drugs to his front door, and finished the story closer to 1996, the year he unofficially limped away from the world and Alice In Chains, then one of the biggest hard-rock bands in the land. Kaths death was good for only No. People who knew both of them well generally agree (and told me) that Layne never got over Demris death. (1969-1996) model, artist, grunge icon, beautiful soul Layne Considered Sending A Demo To Jerry Cantrell. He said, In his arm? He wanted a teddy bear that Demri had had with her in hospital. Don't try to contact any AIC members. So two weeks later [our mutual friend] was having a Super Bowl party. "Demri was here last night," Staley allegedly said. Less sympathetic listeners might dismiss Junkhead as the empty lamentation of a rock-star addict, but Staley wasnt looking for pity. apstag.init({ AIC songs that were about or referenced specific people Throughout, Cantrells off-kilter, shotgun-blast-to-the-intestines guitar work acts as a queasy counterpoint to Staleys dead-man-walking howling. Demri Parrott - Listal Finally, Starr left angry. What happened to Demri? The singers life was full of trauma, and drugs, at first, offered him an escape from his pain. .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) This was neither the beginning nor the end of Staleys sufferings that he was trying to get rid of it for years. "He finally kicked heroin use, and I'm still fighting," the singer said. She said he looked like a kid again, and at that moment there was no darkness in his life. My strengths and my talent are my title," he said. asi: 'theadengine.com', Can you try to talk sense to him?, Forrest agreed to, and he and Frusciante visited Staley at his Seattle condo. Starr left Staley's place later that day. Forrest had gained a reputation at the time as being someone who could communicate with addicts, he had helped Frusciante get clean in 1997. Over a torturously slow metal-blues riff, Staley denounces the hypocrite norm, running their boring drills, and commits himself to consuming whatever drugs are available to him. ", The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Layne Staley, this Alice In Chains interview with Rockline. She says she hopes that her son's music will shed light on the disease of addiction that ultimately took his life. The couple got engaged in 1992 and their friends and family thought that they would tie the knot and live happily ever after. Layne Staley died on April 5, 2002. Guns not loaded, see? Tillman recalled Ace saying as he pointed it at his head and, with a smile, pulled the trigger. As Starr stormed out, Staley begged him to stay, saying, "Not like this. Its 1987, and Staley knows how to walk the walk of the day, strutting onstage in baby blue satin suits and exuding big-cock charisma. They began dating a short time after they saw each other. Demri's biological paternal grandfather was Beryl Gibson Dougherty (the son of Duncan M. "Dunk" Dougherty and . .addService(googletag.pubads()); Demri's obituary. ], (Rolling Stone later noted that the heroin-related death of touring Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin that July garnered more coverage than Nowells death.) According to David de Solas book Alice In Chains: The Untold Story, Layne Staley believed that the ghost of his late girlfriend Demri Parrott visited him just days before his April 2002 death. Much farther down on the most spectacular rock deaths list is Layne Staley of Alice In Chains. The singer spoke about how he went on a journey when he was 16 to find his father, but what he discovered made him not want to look any further. Demri Parrott His father was six years clean when they rekindled their relationship, but he soon started using again, and the two of them were getting high together. Krist Novoselic, Mark Lanegan, Mike Inez & Sean Kinney Tried To Help Layne. "Since that call I always was wondering, 'Where is my dad?' 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. 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. That model was to be Mariah O'Brien, whom Schenck had shot previously for the cover of Spinal Tap's "Bitch School" single. (Handout). "This music Layne was writing a warning. Mar 14, 2016. I changed my number. 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. How close do you think that was to us, Ann? Self: 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. "@type": "ListItem", .addSize([0, 0], [[300, 250], [336, 280]]) Hed been dead for two weeks; the tip-off that something was amiss came not from concerned family members or friends but from Staleys accountants, who noticed that he hadnt spent any money in several days. There was more to Nowell than living life like the world was one big smoke-filled Chevy van. Ill look at the coke-fueled disaster of Oasis misbegotten epic Be Here Now, and the unlikely triumph of Radioheads dystopian prog-rock masterpiece OK Computer. For what it's worth, Demri's mother believes Staley, although he was clearly affected by his drug use. "itemListElement": [ Layne turned a corner with two strippers into a hallway crowded with cops. Cantrell recalled to Charles R. Cross of Rolling Stone how he met his lead singer: Its a Seattle party, and Staley is standing in the middle of it all, his hair dyed a bright glam-rock pink and teased with a hair clip atop his tiny frame. Thinking about both of them yesterday and. Addiction was a constant throughout Staleys short life, which he tried his hardest to break out from but sadly didnt make it, and his music serves as a memory of his distinct talent. Part of what makes Dirt an impressive artistic achievement is that much of the album was written or co-written by Cantrell, who performed a sort of method songwriting by infusing a junkies hopelessness and guttural desperation even into songs that didnt directly address addiction. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_top_1', [[300,250],[336,280],[728,90],[970,90],[970,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-1') Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney told Greg Prato in the book Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History Of Seattle Rock Music that Staley had long resigned himself to an early grave: Layne told me straight up, Im never coming back. Although he'd lived as a recluse for years, former Alice in Chains bassist Michael Starr who Diffuser says blamed himself for Staley's death claimed on an episode of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew"that he was the last person to see Staley alive. { 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. Well, what have you got? He ended up in the hospital. He didnt have a great voice, but he sang like he did, using the power of his personality to give his vocals the sunny brassiness that made Sublime songs so irresistible on the radio once 1996s Sublime brought the bands music to the masses. In 2005, Cantrell, Kinney and Mike Inez, who replaced Starr as bassist, reunited for a benefit concert. "item": { In 1993, when the band was touring in support of "Dirt," Staley would walk offstage midsong to get high. Staley erupted, then yelled at him whenever he tried to take more pills. "Don' try to talk about this to my sister Liz. I told him that John had gangrene once. He needs his hands and arms. However, they decided to break up after a few years while people were waiting for an announcement about their wedding. The day of his death was estimated to be April 5, exactly eight years after Cobains suicide. However, Parrotts friend Amber Ferrano denied these rumors saying that all of them were wrong and her friend never used the drugs before she met the Alice In Chains singer. The story of Sublime is one of the strangest and most tragic tales in all of 90s rock. 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. You and me., 7. Bob Forrest & John Frusciante Visited Laynes Home. 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. Kurt Cobain short-circuited death by heroin with a shotgun blast to the head in 1994. Moreover, its been claimed that Layne Staley didnt want to live after losing a beloved even if their relationship ended. Bob: Your Moms worried, man. { 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). Do you think that almost hit us, Ann? It was therapeutic and worked for me for a while, until my dad saw my picture printed on a magazine." Those that knew Staley personally seem to agree that he more or less died in spirit when his long-time girlfriend, Demri Parrott, succumbed to bacterial endocarditis stemming from her own drug use in October 1996. Alice in Chains was the first of grunge's big four to break out, but Nirvana clearly won the to-the-death competition. ,{ "name": "10 Surprising Stories About Layne Staley’s Reclusive Years" At one point, Staley was even informed that his old man had passed away, although this wasn't true. " Kinney recalls. David de Sola writes that Staley would fly into a minor rage whenever someone referred to him by that name. Demri Parrott's Death, Mystery About Her Life And Layne Staley - JukeBugs Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. googletag.pubads().disableInitialLoad(); He had just gotten pretty much the entire Nerf arsenal, so we went to war. It might be the least spectacular rock death of all time, in the sense that it surprised absolutely no one, including Staley himself. On January 28, 2001, he saw Layne again at a Super Bowl party. She wasn't happy with the suicide ruling and wondered what more there might be to the story. Dirt by Alice in Chains (CD, 1992) New but case has a crack "@type": "WebPage", On the other, Staley's affair with heroin got serious fast. An indicator of that drop in regard for himself was when, in 1998, he contracted gangrene as a result of his lifestyle. She wasn't far behind, having immediately clocked out of work and raced home, flying past five police cars who, thankfully, didn't try to stop her. googletag.defineSlot('/98948493,22548962605/alternativenation_multisize_content_1', [[336,280],[300,250]], 'div-gpt-ad-3901802-3') The difference on Black Gives Way To Blue was, as the title suggested, a shift in perspective. By the next year, the band's dark and deeply pained breakthrough album, "Dirt," was rife with references to the drug. As for fans that object to another man heading up Sublime, Ramirez seems content to play the haters gonna hate card. The end everyone saw coming had finally arrived. But rather than a heartwarming reunion between father and son, his dad's habits rubbed off on him when he was trying to stay clean. - WORLDWIDE:- Vimeo https://vimeo.com/ondemand/whatisclassicrock2Cheers,Daniel They found the deceased singer sitting upright, surrounded by drugs and drug paraphernalia, cans of spray paint, spent needles, and unspent cash, all illuminated by a flickering TV. As Layne sat there and Ann was swimming, a huge meteor went over them and it lit up Laynes face. But when theres 20,000 people out there, just loving everything, and just dancing around with smiles, nothing can stop that.. "item": { "item": { Hes always been dead as far as most people are concerned. Demri Parrott Tribute - YouTube "@id": "https://www.alternativenation.net/category/rock/", adServer: 'googletag', Alice In Chains: The Untold Story author David de Sola shared some information with Alternative Nation about the wedding that never came to be between Staley and Parrott, and how the planned site of the wedding eventually was where a much sadder event took place. So it shouldn't surprise anyone least of fall fans of his timeless music, the millions of people who cite him as an inspiration, or anyone familiar with rock star biographies that despite his success, he lived a hard life and died too young. But while the surviving members of Alice In Chains made sure to present their band as a newly evolved entity, Sublimes Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson are trying to pick up where they were forced to leave off in 1996, when their lead singer, Bradley Nowell, died of a heroin overdose at age 28. Though never verified, there have been rumors that Layne worked on a home demo called Everyday that he planned on sending to Jerry Cantrell, possibly as late as 2002. This portable projector plays your movies in crisp, high-contrast, 1080p detailno matter where you are. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). But his love of Tommy Lee wasn't the only reason he swapped out his middle name. Staley remembered, I was trying to kick this habit out of my life and here comes this man asking for money to buy some smack., He finally kicked heroin use, and Im still fighting, Staley said resentfully. 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. Perry Farrell and Kurt Cobain and all those guys did drugs, and Brad wanted to see what it was like. By the time Sublime was in the studio recording its self-titled third record, Nowell was in such rough shape that producer Paul Learyno stranger to substance abuse as a founding member of Butthole Surferssent him home before the record was completed. On one hand, the two bands got up to some hilarious business pranking each other. An eyewitness account from Thorntons bassist Curtis Tillman contradicts this story. "position": 2, Who is Demri Parrott dating? Demri Parrott boyfriend, husband "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Deep Cuts" Demri Parrott - Biography - IMDb Close to a dozen more stints in rehab were in his future. .addSize([748, 200], [[728, 90]]) Layne was very into his artwork during his later years, frequently buying art supplies that were scattered around his home. He was 44 years old. Demri Lara Parrott Murphy (February 22nd 1969 - October 29th 1996) was an American model, artist, and muse, and an amateur actress, girlfriend and . 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. Mike Starr said he was going to be best man at Layne and Demris wedding. Just as Alice in Chains became famous, Staley's girlfriend, Demri Lara Parrott, introduced him to heroin. 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. }); 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 Parrott - Biography. He dropped out of my life for 15 years." 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.