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Obituaries
Alice In Chains co-founder dies
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 9 March 2011
Mike Starr, a founder member of grunge band Alice In Chains, has died in Salt Lake City. The cause of death has not been revealed, though police say there are no suspicious circumstances. Starr has had a very public fight with drug addiction over the years, recently appearing on VH1’s ‘Celebrity Rehab’.
Starr joined with Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney and later Layne Staley to form what became Alice In Chains in Seattle in the mid-1980s. After signing to Columbia Records, they went on to enjoy considerable success as the grunge scene crossed over into the mainstream.
Starr appeared on the band’s first two albums, ‘Facelift’ and ‘Dirt’, before departing in 1993 because, according to Staley at the time, unlike his bandmates he had tired of the gruelling schedule of gigs and record promotion. Though Starr himself later admitted that he was eased out of the band by his bandmates because of his then emerging drug addiction.
After leaving Alice In Chains he briefly played bass for another band Sun Red Sun. But in more recent years he came back to public attention not because of his music, but because of his appearances on VH1’s ‘Celebrity Rehab’, where he was seen by viewers receiving treatment for heroin addiction. He also appeared in spin-off show ‘Sober House’.
Starr was recently arrested in Salt Lake City over an outstanding warrant relating to an earlier drugs charge, and was also found to be carrying unauthorised prescription drugs. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, one of the police officers who dealt with the arrest says Starr told him he was in town working on a new music project.
A statement from the surviving members of Alice In Chains (Staley died of an overdose in 2002) issued yesterday said: “Jerry and Sean are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy – and the privacy of Mike’s family – during this difficult time. Their thoughts and prayers are with Mike’s family”.
Meanwhile the host of ‘Celebrity Rehab’, Dr Drew Pinsky, tweeted: “Devastating to hear of Mike Starr succumbing to his illness. So very sad. Our prayers are with his family”.
