Layne Thomas Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician and singer-songwriter who performed as the lead vocalist for the band Alice in Chains. He was born in Kirkland, Washington and attended Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood, Washington. Layne was a gifted and innovative singer and musician, and he found success with Alice in Chains as the main vocalist for the majority of the band's recorded material. During the band's course, Layne helped define the sound and style of hard rock, combining the heavy riffing of classic metal and the darkness of punk and grunge. His vocal performance, coupled with the band's emotionally charged and often dark lyrics, propelled them to success, releasing two gold and one platinum albums in the early 1990s, earning the band a Grammy nomination in 1995 and building a fan-base across the globe. Sadly, Layne's career and life were brought to a premature end on April 5, 2002 at the age of 34. Layne died of a drug overdose, a tragedy that unfortunately ended a stellar career and left the music world mourning. His memory will live on in the hearts and minds of his fans, friends and family, and his music will continue to resonate with all those who encountered it.