Talk:Layne Staley/Archive 1

He was NOT raised Catholic!
Where is their any proof or evidence that Layne Staley was raised Catholic!?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 120.149.118.36 (talk) 06:46, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

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:

Please note, "drug addiction" is listed as causing his death. 'Drug addiction' is a physical change within an animal, that is more effective than a habit, and has much stronger reinforcement mechanisms than habits. However, that is neither here nor there. Addiction is not a cause of death. The cause of death is cardiac arrest, following acute respiratory depression, caused by over stimulation of the mu-opiod receptors of his brain. In other words, he *overdosed.* To say that he struggled with addiction, that might be OK. But, to say that he died from it sounds ignorant, at best. And, it is not accurate.

75.33.52.79 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 06:51, 13 February 2011 (UTC).

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

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. [[User:SaltyPig 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.
 * SaltyPig]] 12:13, 3 August 2005 (UTC)
 * dunno, but it sure puts a perspective on it. he was such a great dude &#8212; 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 (talk • contribs) 23:54, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

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 (talk • contribs) 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)
 * I removed the following claim from the death section (where it mentions his weight) because it's been a year and there is still no source provided:
 * mostly due to decomposition as his body was discovered two weeks after his death. The autopsy report later concluded that Staley had died after injecting a mixture of heroin and cocaine known as a "speedball". 
 * Ufwuct (talk) 13:16, 30 June 2013 (UTC)

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) 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)
 * 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)
 * 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
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)

Sweet Steph
Sweet Stephani - Stephani (Finnin?) has been described by Layne as a dear friend who always rallied for him. Apparently they remained close up to the time of his death. From what I read it seems Stephani was a college student who was working as an intern for Blender when she was assigned to follow and document AIC during the 1993 Lollapalooza Tour and is credited for writing numerous articles about the band from 1993 to 1995. During Lollapalooza she quickly bonded with Layne and his on and off girlfriend Demri Parrot. When Layne and Parrot ended their relationship due to both his infidelity on the road and for Parrot's selling herself for drugs, Stephani provided emotional support to Layne and was also there for him when Parrot passed in 1996. Apparently they remained friends and kept in contact up to the time of his death. They apparently had no sexual connection towards the end of Layne's life(most likely due to his condition) but were closer than two people could be regardless of what coast they lived on(as Layne stated in a Guitar Magazine). Even though he pushed her away to be alone she still stayed in contact via phone, email and long weekend visits to Seattle. I think she was the most important person in his life during his latter years. Although nobody could replace Demri in Layne's heart, "Stephani was able to fill an emotional void that hung over Staley like a black cloud".

The song, "Angry Chair" was written about his father making him sit in a chair as a child when he was bad. Although this song was written prior to their initial meeting in 1993, Layne would regularly dedicate it to her in thanks for her support and friendship. Considering this song is about drugs and strained relationships, many question why this song was regularly dedicated to Stephani during performances between 1995 and 1996. Layne did defend his dedication and song choice by stating that she was his "one true friend" and unlike his father, never wanted a thing from him. During one of his final professional appearances at the MTV Unplugged Concert, attended by Stephani, he dedicated the song to her and thanked her for her friendship. His quote at the appearance, "I cannot thank my dear friend sweet Steph enough for her unconditional support. I know she will always be with me no where we rest our heads."

I would love to pick her brain as she was in touch with him during the time leading up to his death. I know she lives in Philadelphia and works in the field of education. I also discovered that she does not openly discuss her relationship with Layne. I found the Alice in Chains articles written by her and can only imagine the whirlwind she stepped into during Lollapalooza 1993.

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. }}  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)

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)

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)

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

Additional info
Come on, seriously, the TRUTH is Layne Staley was an alien from another planet and the lack of minerals he needed to survive on Earth caused him to die (either that or he was created in a lab in Las Alamos, NM. I can't remember which is true but he was DEFINITELY NOT human). He also NEVER slept, didn't breathe, had four extra limbs he could expand and contract at will, and subsisted solely on watching humans eat. Jesus, get your facts straight, people! --Hester Mofet

—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

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). now that his son has proving by Nancy  we regret his bio father is dead a long time girlfriend for more than 25 years that was in Lane life  we still miss and love him even when he gone love your son Ryan Wilson in 2002 is when my boy friend died we had other children also by the name Blanch Thomas Staley 11 and Susan Staley born in 2002 a year after their father passed away to Sandra Watson they were on there was of getting married in the years 2002 Sandra Christofferson relationship was sweet, they lived in Seattle Condo home were they lived for a coope of years,these two were every much in love and was having there 2 child thought have said but these two had twins instead. we all love Layne and the bands we was in to this day there is still much to say about Layne there are walks of life in every direction but his was just a way out leaving behind all his fans, friends, and most importantly the one who he loved he most Sandra. we were so much in love and our children will go on without him so soory for that.

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

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)

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)

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)

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? Layne Staley had children because im the one who got them here blanche Thomas and suszan I am their mother is is on their birth record Sandra Watson these kids were born after he had died 2002 they came long in 2003 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)

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)

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)

Demri and Layne struggled with drugs together and it played a part in their splitting. She used to live in an apartment he payed for and eventually she sold herself for drug money. It got to the point where they had become two different people while high than sober. After they broke up, Demri had a new boyfriend and was in his car when she started to display the symptoms for the illness that ultimately caused her death. Layne was devastated at the death of his friend.

mheart 10:32, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

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 (talk • contribs) 23:43, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

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 (talk • contribs) 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 (talk • contribs) 23:42, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Legacy Section
Layne's mother Nancy asked me to remove Tanya Vece's self-promotional paragraph that was recently added to the legacy section. This is not verified information and was strictly added to promote her new book. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Machel131 (talk • contribs) 18:25, 6 November 2008 (UTC)

Visibily weak?
I contend with the contention:

"During the band's appearance on MTV Unplugged, Staley was visibly weak and emaciated and had problems singing at times, including stopping the song "Sludge Factory" due to forgetting the words. He was nevertheless received by the audience with loud applause. "

The difficulty is that I believe this performance to be unprecedentedly beautiful. I have no internet links. Neither does the assertion. Is this another instance of incurrence of professed evidence before truth? His live performance was unbelievably beautiful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.204.119.56 (talk) 04:39, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

"Visible weakness" is a viewer's thing to judge. Although I personally think he was a bit sick during that show, such a comment is biased and should not be included in this article. mheart 14:02, 6 February 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mheart (talk • contribs)

Another brick... part 1
Unlike the original version, there are no vocals in the part 1 cover, Layne might contributed with rhythm guitar I really don't know.Paranoidhuman (talk) 13:56, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

Quotation marks in the wrong place
The article states that an unidentified person called 911 and said, "She hadn't heard from… [Staley] in about two weeks." This doesn't make sense unless the person was talking about herself in the third person. It should read as follows:

She hadn't "heard from… [Staley] in about two weeks."

I changed it to that but someone changed it back. Now it's wrong again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.250.46.223 (talk) 22:05, 1 September 2009 (UTC)
 * If you look at the reference, you'll see that it's referring to a police report of some sort, i.e. it's not a quote from her directly. Erzsébet Báthory(talk 22:49, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

The article should say that it was a polic report that said that, not the actual person.
 * Yeah, that's a Wikipedia pet peeve of mine. People think they don't need to attribute or explain things if they're in the citation, which just ain't the case.  That's some basic Strunk & White stuff there.  MrBook (talk) 22:50, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

It was Susan Silver (former manager) who got the call from his accountant, she knew what had happened immediately. Their first instinct was to go break down the door ASAP, but thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. She allowed no one to call anyone at all before she told the family. Layne's mom would have never been the first point of contact for him. They were not close...At all! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.126.246.42 (talk) 04:45, 15 August 2015 (UTC)

Staley/Cobain
Can someone please explain why it is apparently verboten to add the fact that Staley and Cobain died on the same day, eight years apart? I've attempted to add this fact to the article multiple times, and multiple users have reverted it without explanation. This fact is easily verifiable and in my opinion deserves mention. --Freshfighter9 (talk) 23:42, 1 September 2009 (UTC)
 * It is not anything worth noting. Same as something like Satellite by P.O.D. being released the same day as the September 11 attacks. Coincidences and factoids aren't what an encyclopedia should cover. The day of Staley's death is not 100% confirmed; April 5, 2002 is the estimated day given by the coroner, as such, no one knows the exact date. Meaning, his date of death might not even be the same day as Cobain. It is merely circumstantial to state this as a fact. Furthermore, in Cobain's case as well, the exact date is not known, except a coroner's estimation of the date of death turned out to be April 5, 1994. — ℳℴℯ   ε  20:54, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Paragraph Deletions
As noted in my heading for the deletions, I deleted the first paragraph re: Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew because it appears to be original research and, as such, violates WP: No Original Research. On March 1, I made a note that a citation is needed.

Since that time, a following paragraph was added. I deleted it as well because it is improperly sourced. Additionally, it is poorly written and violates Wikipedia's standards therefor. Mrs. Peel (talk) 23:26, 28 March 2010 (UTC)

Picture
Please, change Layne's photo? There are better ones you can use? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.2.182.110 (talk) 21:43, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

It doesn't even look at all like him 93.186.28.216 (talk) 21:36, 14 June 2010 (UTC)
 * It was taken in 1992 - what more do you want? If you have any pictures you took of Layne, please submit them. Thanks. --Yankees76 (talk) 22:01, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/attachments/f185/72779d1248141992-layne-staley-layne.jpg http://media.photobucket.com/image/layne%20staley/fischerrox/LayneStaley.jpg http://tanakamusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/layne_staley.jpg http://www.gunaxin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/layne-staley-header-560x371.jpg http://layne4staley.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=82309778 http://layne4staley.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=82309211 http://layne4staley.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=82309200 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.2.186.78 (talk) 15:13, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
 * So which one of those pictures do you own the rights to? See WP:IUP. --Yankees76 (talk) 15:30, 17 June 2010 (UTC)

Ok, is that, current photo the only one that can be used on Layne's profile???? ONLY ONE PHOTO????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.2.186.78 (talk) 19:54, 17 June 2010 (UTC) PLUS "It doesn't even look at all like him" I totaly agree!!!!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.2.186.78 (talk) 19:56, 17 June 2010 (UTC) --188.2.186.78 (talk) 20:01, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
 * No, as of right now that seems to be the only photo that has been released for use on Wikipedia - taken by someone at a show in 1992. If you don't own the rights to any of the pictures you linked to, we can't use them. Again, see WP:IUP. --Yankees76 (talk) 20:17, 17 June 2010 (UTC)

Well the facial features don't look like his either, and I've seen singles. Anyway, I'm used to seeing layne in many different styles and I agree that the pictures of him in mad season and the unplugged era is a bit horrible to see, but someone will have a better photo somewhere!93.186.23.221 (talk) 18:31, 27 June 2010 (UTC)

I disagree that this is what Layne looked "at the peak of their career" in 1992. This is just what he looked like at that one concert... and he has looked much better. Check out the videos for their tracks from 1990-1992. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Code16 (talk • contribs) 08:49, 10 December 2010 (UTC)
 * thanks for the input, however please note this isn't a discussion forum. We're not really here to come to a consensus on when Layne looked his best - instead we're looking for editors who own the rights to an acceptable Layne Staley picture and is willing to release to the public domain it for use. Until that happens, the picture that is in article is so far the only one that has been released for use on Wikipedia. Again, see WP:IUP. If you have one that you would like to release to the public domain, please upload it, if not, please limit your posts on this page to posts that work to directly improve the article. . --Yankees 76 Talk 13:30, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Why all the Rubio material?
I feel like the article is too dominated by the questionable (at best) "books" by "journalist" Rubio. Her books were vanity projects done without the involvement of the band, also without the blessing of the Staley/McCallum family, and not peer-reviewed or substantiated.

I also think a far better source would be "Grunge is Dead" by Greg Prato, Rolling Stone writer and respected (real) journalist.

-fendermatt, 10/11/10 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.248.26.75 (talk) 07:17, 11 October 2010 (UTC)

Change the Picture, Someone Please!
The quality of the picture is not that good

I tried to do it, but I need to be "autoconfirmed"

How about this one instead?

http://i.fanpix.net/images/orig/v/4/v4itgkjlug4zguzk.jpg

I checked the rights, and its free for use — Preceding unsigned comment added by Code16 (talk • contribs) 08:41, 10 December 2010 (UTC)
 * You'll need to provide evidence that it's been released to the public domain as it appears this picture was already uploaded to Wikimedia and removed (as Layne_Staley_3.jpg). It was in the article in 2007. Who is the photographer? This looks like a professional portrait - we'll need the photograhers release before you can upload it. Your link doesn't show anything, and this picture appears on numerous sites as both left facing like your link above, and right facing . More info is needed, though I would suspect that because it's already been deleted once, it is not acceptable.

Please go to WP:IMAGEHELP for future questions on wether or not pictures you find online are acceptable instead of posting links on this page. Thanks. --Yankees 76 Talk 13:46, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

I've done some more digging - here is what else is available on Wikipedia that has been released:



--Yankees 76 Talk 13:51, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for changing it!! Good choice! :) The new one fits so much better to the memory of Layne... (and I'm sorry I posted that link to a non-free picture, I'm a total newbie) Code16 (talk) 21:12, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

Staley Needs A Better Picture
There are so many better, clearer pictures of Layne Staley that should be in place of that one that headlines this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.64.81.86 (talk) 22:28, 17 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Do you have one that isn't copyrighted? That's the issue, Wikipedia cannot use images that are copyrighted. Ella Plantagenet (talk) 17:44, 21 November 2011 (UTC)


 * 75.64.81.86, this has been discussed at length above. The pics above are currently the only images that we're free to use. See WP:IUP in the chance that you have pictures in your possession that you own the copyright to. Thanks. --Yankees 76 Talk 18:51, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

Proposal for New Section
I think this article focuses wayyy too much on Staley's addiction, in turn overshadowing that he was one of the most prominent singers of the entire decade of the '90s. As far as grunge/alternative goes as a category, Staley has got to be close to the top of the all-time list. Shouldn't we have a section about his musicianship? For example: Vocal Style. I'm not making any promises, but if I find the time in the near future I would like to get this up there. Any other suggestions for NON-ADDICTION related sections of this article, particularly ones that have to deal with his SINGING, I personally would love to see. All the best. Accipio Mitis Frux (talk) 23:16, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Yasmin
Is there more info about her? I heard of her from him, but he never said too much. He was with her when he was recording Dirt, he was to have married her in 1998? Their marriage didn't last but he loved her, he even said as much years later, so it wasn't only Steph. Anyone have a way of contacting Yasmin. I think she was in some porn flicks, that's how he met her early on.

Death of Demri Lara Parrott
I have removed the text below from the article page:

In October 1996, Staley's ex-fiancée, Demri Lara Parrott, died by "Misadventure", not secondary complications caused by drug use (bacterial endocarditis).

"Parrott’s death certificate lists her cause of death as “Acute intoxication,” and “Combined effects of opiate, Meprobamate & Butalbital.” In other words, she did die of an accidental overdose. The medical examiner’s report erroneously describes the man who brought her to the hospital as her boyfriend. He was not her boyfriend, according to Austin, and Staley did not bring her to the hospital. Parrott spent the last 12 hours of her life unconscious in an intensive care unit at Evergreen Hospital, with only her mother and her aunt by her side, before doctors turned off the life-support machines on the morning of October 29, 1996.  Alice in Chains manager Susan Silver told journalist Greg Prato in his book Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music that she was the one who went to Staley’s apartment to tell him that Parrott had died."



I do not know who made these edits as they were not commented. Debates should be settled here on the talk page, not in the middle of the article. Please find appropriate sources to back up your assertions before including in the article. Ivanvector (talk) 19:11, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

Google Books
Please exercise caution when removing text as a copyvio that the source in question didn't actually copy the text from Wikipedia. This is the case for the Google Books source had used as a rationale for removing entire sections of the article. -- Laser brain  (talk)  17:57, 28 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I was not the original user who removed the text. I know, though, and I mentioned that at my talk page when the IP messaged me. Nymf (talk) 20:49, 28 December 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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External links modified
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Removal of quote attributed to Layne by Adriana Rubio
The veracity of Adriana Rubio's claim that she obtained an interview with Layne in the months before he died has been challenged by multiple credible sources (here for example as well as in the new book that's just come out about the band – the author claims that the last interview Layne ever gave was to Rockline in 1999). I'm just going to go ahead and remove her stuff. -- Decampos (talk) 22:44, 25 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Agree with removal. If there has been that much doubt about it, we should err on the side of caution. -- Laser brain  (talk)  23:28, 25 August 2015 (UTC)

Instruments/Guitar
I was going to add guitar to instruments because Layne was credited as a guitarist on certain songs such as "Angry Chair", "Hate to Feel", "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", "Get Born Again" and "Died" (and he also was credited as writing the guitar parts on some of those songs like "Angry Chair", and "Hate to Feel") and also functioned as the band's rhythm guitarist occasionally during live performances. However, it says that we should try to reach a consensus here before adding additional instruments. I'm aware that Layne was primarily a vocalist and not a guitarist, but I think it should be OK to acknowledge that he could play guitar and did play guitar on certain songs both live and in the studio. I've noticed that generally singers are given credit for additional instruments they can play on their Wikipedia pages. This would seem to fit within that precedent. What say you all? Aoa8212 (talk) 04:36, 19 July 2015 (UTC)


 * For some reason stating that Layne played guitar is weirdly contentious. Freddie Mercury played guitar way less than Layne yet his infobox lists 'guitar' and no-one seems too bothered about it. Layne played guitar on stage and in the studio, it's just a fact. Here's what Jerry Cantrell said about Angry Chair:

"'Such a brilliant song. I'm very proud of Layne for writing it. When I've stepped up vocally in the past he's been so supportive, and here was a fine example of him stepping up with the guitar and writing a masterpiece'." Decampos (talk) 04:55, 10 September 2015 (UTC)


 * And this is the problem with infoboxes and why some editors do not like them. The infobox should summarize key facts from the article. Though Staley may have played the guitar on stage and in the studio (I'm not disputing that), that fact is not discussed nor sourced in the article. Therefore, it doesn't belong in the infobox. If you want to add sourced prose to the article detailing how and when he played the guitar, and preferably discussion about his technique and sound, I would support guitar being added to the infobox as an instrument he is known for. If you search the article today for the term "guitar", you find only discussion about Cantrell and mention of Kirk Hammett. -- Laser brain  (talk)  11:02, 10 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Laser brain has it right: there's plenty of room in the article to develop the idea that Staley can play and has played the guitar. The infobox is not that place. Another important point to consider is whether Staley has gained fame for his guitar playing, with critics commenting on his playing. If guitar playing is part of his fame, then guitar should go in the infobox. If guitar adds nothing to his fame then not. Binksternet (talk) 12:57, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Okay, that makes sense. Maybe someone at some point can expand on the mention of Angry Chair in the article as it is one of Alice's big hits then we can review the infobox. Decampos (talk) 17:51, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Yes Decampos, nearly every other singer like Mercury gets credited for every instrument they've ever played, but for some reason we can't list guitar as an instrument for Layne, even though he's played it in the studio and live, and written music for it more than a lot of other singers who have "guitar" listed as one of their instruments in the infobox. Weird. Aoa8212 (talk) 03:39, 12 September 2015 (UTC)
 * The solution for that is to remove the extra instruments from Mercury's biography, the instruments that did not add to his fame. Binksternet (talk) 04:52, 12 September 2015 (UTC)

Layne Staley Fund
I removed the section about the dubious "Layne Staley Fund" which previously enjoyed an entire paragraph in this article that read much like a WP:MEMORIAL. It's not a registered non-profit, nor is there any evidence that Staley's mother is behind it or that the funds are being used for their stated purpose. I don't think we should be providing coverage for this endeavor. -- Laser brain  (talk)  12:42, 25 January 2016 (UTC)

Death info
This article goes into a phenomenal amount of detail about both his death and the years immediately preceding that event. It reads like fancruft and has masses of quotations. Can it not be trimmed without losing the actually useful information? - Sitush (talk) 19:28, 19 August 2017 (UTC)


 * People have been editing this article but seemingly not looking here. I stand by my comment above - far too much fancruft/excessive detail. - Sitush (talk) 15:49, 5 January 2019 (UTC)


 * I and someone else have removed about 30-35% of the character count in the last few hours. I think the article is better for that, although perhaps still a little verbose in parts. - Sitush (talk) 15:54, 20 January 2019 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 02:51, 28 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Layne Staley Claymation Figure - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland (by Adam Jones).jpg

I don’t see ANY EVIDENCE of Layne’s “depression”
“It's so funny, Layne is so, kind of misrepresented in a way, everybody thought he was like gloom and doom and all negativity. But he probably laughed more than anybody. I miss his laugh so much. He was always looking for the joke and always just such a sweetheart of a guy."

Read More: Mike Inez: People Have the Wrong Idea About Layne Staley | https://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-mike-inez-people-wrong-idea-layne-staley/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

By all accounts, from reading the “untold story of alice in chains” which contains lots of direct quotes from people around Layne, to interviews of band members and Mark Lanegan’s autobiography, there wasn’t a single sentence that described Layne as depressed. In fact, the complete opposite. Light-hearted, funny, energetic, fun-loving, are among the attributes I hear.

Layne was an addict first and foremost. But to conflate it with depression is wrong. To speculate on mental disorders without training or interviewing the subject is both wrong and irresponsible as well as forbidden by the DSM and various professional and academic psychology boards.

However, I also have a life. My guess is this is an edit war fought by people with no lives, who are not only depressed but (to use a more polite term) in their vanity like to flatter themselves by projecting their own struggles onto famous artists. Hence more than likely “depression” will be added again and again to Layne, alice in chains albums, and other artists, despite NO EVIDENCE as well as evidence to the contrary. alas, it is only wikipedia, not an encyclopedia with like ethics and standards of publishing. Shhsbavavaa (talk) 10:05, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Laynes other brother
When my dad was alive he was friends with Eric Staley of West Seattle WA which I was told was Laynes half brother sharing a father. I do know Eric personally but when reaching out to people they only mentioned Ken as Layne’s brother. I’m confused! Justin Marysville WA 2601:601:8500:C9D0:1498:CDFE:F9BD:439D (talk) 03:34, 5 February 2023 (UTC)

Layne's death was a suicide
This isn't a crazy conspiracy theory. It can be inferred simply from the fact that his skeleton was sitting on multiple needles, while he had a needle stuck in his leg. He had developed a terrible infection on his arm that was some kind of open wound that wasn't healing. This is confirmed by Mike Starr, The Alice in Chains untold story book, and Grunge is Dead book. Rather than be humiliated in the hospital where he wouldn't be able to get his drugs (withdrawal), and would be shamed in the media, and possibly lose a limb, he chose to OD. Another clear piece of evidence was he killed himself on the same day Kurt Cobain killed himself. Layne had often talked about suicide during the last years of his life. Everyone who knew him knew he was chasing death.

How do we add this? Official statements from the band, LAynes mom, don't mention suicide cause of the taboo around it. but it was without a doubt intentional. The police may have not bothered to investigate it close enough because in their culture a "junkie" and "rock star" using drugs, is not someone they respect. Remember this was the 90s. Junkie stigma is still bad today but back then it was much worse.

Can we add this to the article? 47.44.179.242 (talk) 03:00, 12 July 2023 (UTC)