Layne Staley has been gone for twenty-two years but his legacy continues to live on. I occasionally find myself searching around in hopes of finding any new pictures or articles that might pop up featuring Layne.

Most of the time I wind up running into things I’ve already seen or read a bunch of times. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that the these items are on the web for me to visit when I am wanting to. Although, I went down a new reddit rabbit hole of recently posted Alice in Chains footage at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. This was from their epic show with KISS in 1996. Side note: At the time it was my favorite band growing up and my current favorite band. More on this later.

So, as I do every year on April 5th and August 22nd, I either write something about Layne and Alice in Chains or post something on one of my social accounts. (Used to put them on Twitter but lately I mostly live on Instagram ((I pretty much hate them all but it is what it is)).

But this year I decided to do something a little different.

I recently had a person send me a message on Instagram about an article I wrote about Layne a few years ago. We chatted back and forth for while about our love for Layne and the band. Swapping stories about our favorite AIC songs and such. Side, side note: We both agreed that Rotten Apple is one of the most underrated songs, ever. I love them all, of course.. but Rotten Apple has been a go to for so many times in my life.

I’ve met quite a few people over the years that are massive AIC fans but to be honest, she is one of the biggest fans I’ve ever met. I cannot stress enough how it made me feel to hear someone talk about the band with such reverie. That, after this many years, people still appreciate the magic that AIC laid down in the studio all those years ago. Kind of reminded me of.. me.

Made me smile for sure.

She is not the only person to reach out over IG or X about Alice in Chains. Many people have expressed their own stories about how the band has impacted them. Some hard times. Some bad times. Some good times and sometimes, just times.

In the 90’s I was a fan of so many bands and so many of the incredible records that came out in that decade but AIC was always number one for me. I was at that show in Detroit when KISS stopped the rock music world with their face-painted comeback. I nearly lost my breath when I thought about these two bands playing together in the stadium. Side, side, side note: Sponge opened the show but like most people I was stuck in the parking lot that was I-75 trying to get off of the freeway to find somewhere to park. Even though I missed their set, what moment for that band.

While I was Space-Ace and Catman for many Halloween’s in the past, for this show I absolutely slicked my hair back, put on my “Empty Fossil of the new scene” tie-dye shirt and bug eyed, black glasses similar to the ones Layne wore for this show. My friends and I were really up close to the front and it remains my favorite concert of all time.

Fast forward many years later and I’m having a delightful conversation with Mike Inez and we sort of went off rails and he told me many things about that day. Some ridiculously funny stories and some very heartfelt things. Hearing his perspective of what that day was like for him and him asking about my perspective of being in the crowd was pretty amazing. There were a few times we just stopped and looked at each other and said… whoaaaa.. that’s crazy!

So, after many years of writing about Layne and Alice in Chains and hearing from people who have been impacted by not only the bands music but the band members themselves, I felt inspired to talk about the emotional side of being a fan of someone and them changing people’s lives with their music. People they will most likely never meet. People that have shed tears and shared beers over a night of listening. Just music loving people appreciating the art.

As I begin to end this years Layne article I wanted to share my own story of the day I heard of Layne’s passing.

I was talking to a friend in his driveway, probably about where we were going to go get something to eat when his twin brother walks outside. He says, “Tommy.. did you hear?” Did I hear what?? “The radio said Layne Staley died”.

Somebody I never met.. and my stomach dropped like it was an immediate family member.

I ran to my car so I could put on the radio. Not having the internet as accessible or a mini-super-computer in my pocket like we have today, I had to sit through 2 songs (TWO FRIGGIN SONGS) before I heard the DJ come on and say the words, “Alice in Chains front-man Layne Staley was found dead today in Seattle.”

I remember feeling of “I couldn’t believe it” and I knew it, dammit, I knew it, all at the same time. I cried, man. I cried.

Some of it was because a person lost their life. And some of it was because those words and that music made such an impact on me. I felt like the darkness and anger I had as a young man seemed to be understood by another person.

As time went on, I cried because I knew we’d never get to hear that angelic voice in his earthly form again.

I remember people laughing at others or ridiculing them when they cried about someone famous dying. Admittedly, I never knew what they were feeling until Layne died but I always felt their sadness. Even though they never actually knew the person.

I’m aware that not everyone feels music in the same way. For some people it’s just background noise and that is perfectly understandable. I have friends that will never feel that thing that I feel when I hear something I love. Totally get that. I’m sure there are things that they love that I just don’t understand and they wonder.. “why isn’t he affected by this like I am?”

I try to keep an opened of a mind as I can because I’ve learned that people grieve in different ways. However, sometimes it could have been that one bright spot in their lives that helped keep them moving forward. It’s a real thing.

When Michael Jackson died I was glued to the TV and the scenes of thousands of people crying about his passing. I felt that pain, man. I am a big fan of MJ’s music and felt that sense of loss but I’ve never felt the way I did for someone famous like the day I heard that Layne Staley died. Not before or since.

Layne Staley August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002

-Tommy Marz

Tommy is a Billboard charting artist and songwriter. You can find him on IG – @tommymarzband