Layne Staley Net Worth

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 band 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 his distinct vocal style, as well as the harmonized vocals between him 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, culminating with his death in April 2002.
Layne Staley was born to Phil Staley and Nancy Staley (n'ee McCallum) in Kirkland, Washington. He was seven years old when his parents divorced, after which he was raised by his mother and stepfather, Jim Elmer. He was raised Catholic. He took his stepfather's name while enrolled in Meadowdale High School and was known for some time as Layne Elmer. In early 2002, shortly before his death, he would describe the experience of witnessing his parents' divorce: "My world became a nightmare, there were just shadows around me. I got a call saying that my dad had died, but my family always knew he was around doing all kinds of drugs. Since that call I always was wondering, 'Where is my dad?' I felt so sad for him and I missed him. He dropped out of my life for 15 years." In that same interview he hinted that his parents' break-up and his father's drug use were at least partially responsible for his own drug problems, and also said that he was convinced that if he became a celebrity his dad would return.
Staley began playing drums at age 12; he played in several glam bands in his early teens, but by this point, Staley had aspirations of becoming a singer. In 1985, Staley formed a band called Sleze, which also featured future Second Coming members Johnny Bacolas and James Bergstrom. With the addition of guitarist Nick Pollock in 1986, Sleze morphed int