Layne Staley (50)

Layne Staley
1967-2002
Alice in Chains frontman
Cause of Death: Overdose

Inelegantly Wasted: Locking himself away in his apartment and doing drugs for five years until he died, only to be found two weeks later after his accountant noticed he hadn't spent any money for a while, Staley's was one of the grimmest rock deaths ever. Despite selling 11 million albums, Alice in Chains were always in the shadow of the twin peaks of Seattle rock, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Similarly, after Kurt Cobain sensationally took his own life, Staley's death--long after grunge's own--caused little stir. A local vigil held the day after his body was discovered drew only 200 mourners.
Breaking the Chain: No new material has been posthumously released. In 2005, Alice in Chains performed a Tsunami benefit show with guest singers including Maynard James Keehan of Tool, but there are no permanent reunion plans.
Memory Layne: Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder recorded the tribute "4/20/02," a reference to the date he heard of Staley's death. Staind also marked the singer's passing with the song "Layne." Staley's mother, Nancy McCallum, established the Layne Staley Fund, a drug-treatment charity for heroin-addicted musicians that hosts an annual benefit.