Alice in Chains Biography

Who are Alice in Chains? They are an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, whose sounds combine heavy metal’s melancholic heft with raw emotion, making an iconic sound spanning decades.

The band was formed in 1987, with vocalist Layne Staley, guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Starr, and drummer Sean Kinney. The band went through an evolution. The lineage of the band began with Staley’s earlier glam-influenced band, Alice N’ Chains, where the name was born.

The band’s make-up changed over time—Mike Inez replaced Starr in 1993, while William DuVall joined the band in 2006 after Staley’s death. Cantrell, born March 18, 1966, in Tacoma, Washington, grew up in a musical household and learned guitar early in his childhood, influenced evenly between heavy metal and hard rock.

Staley, born August 22, 1967, in Kirkland, Washington, had had creative people in his lineage and showed musical talent young, starting playing drums before he switched over playing singing. Kinney, born May 27, 1966, in Renton, Washington, grew up around music, while Starr, born April 4, 1966, in Honolulu, Hawaii, spent his childhood between Hawaii and Seattle.

Inez, born May 14, 1966, in San Fernando Valley, California, had been in the background with Ozzy Osbourne before joining Alice in Chains. DuVall, born September 6, 1967, in Washington, D.C., had been with other bands before succeeding Staley.

Members’ educational background mostly came from real-world experience with an uncompromising focus upon music, where early professional lives were shaped against Pacific Northwest’s active but sleazy club scenes. The band finally made it big with Facelift, their 1990 release, presenting their characteristic harmonized singing with guttural playing upon guitar.

The sophomore follow-up, Dirt, 1992, became an era-defining statement upon grunge, tackling addiction and personal conflict head-on. Despite success, Staley’s substance abuse eventually brought about protracted periods without music, where his death in 2002 became an evocative milestone. The band reformed in 2005 and brought in DuVall, where they released Black Gives Way to Blue, 2009, an elegy with Staley’s memory in consideration.

They followed with The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013) and Rainier Fog (2018), demonstrating the capacity to grow while remaining true to their heritage. Career highlights include over 30 million records sold globally, multiple Grammy nominations, and standing as one of the most formidable live acts in rock.

Defining life events in their narrative include the early ’90s grunge boom, Staley’s reclusive later years, the band’s hesitant but resolute revival, and their continued impact upon rock and heavy metal. Through tragedy, rebirth, the late Alice in Chains’ legacy stands upon their capacity to transmute suffering into creation, crafting music that transcends generations with its impact upon listeners.

Alice in Chains Top Songs

• Man in the Box
• Rooster
• Would?
• No Excuses
• Down in a Hole
• Them Bones
• I Stay Away
• Nutshell
• Check My Brain
• Never Fade

Alice in Chains Discography

Studio Albums

1. Facelift (1990)
2. Dirt (1992)
3. Alice in Chains (1995)
4. Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)
5. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)
6. Rainier Fog (2018)

Extended Plays (EPs)

• We Die Young (1990)
• Sap (1992)
• Jar of Flies (1994)

Live Albums

• Unplugged (1996)
• Live (2000)

Compilations

• Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999)
• Music Bank (1999)
• Greatest Hits (2001)
• The Essential Alice in Chains (2006)

Alice in Chains Top Albums

• Dirt (1992) – A landmark of the grunge era, blending heavy riffs with haunting lyrics on addiction and survival.
• Facelift (1990) – Their debut, featuring “Man in the Box,” which propelled them into mainstream rock.
• Jar of Flies (1994) – The first EP to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, showcasing a softer, acoustic side.
• Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) – A moving tribute to Layne Staley, marking a new chapter with William DuVall.
• Rainier Fog (2018) – A homage to Seattle’s music scene, uniting their classic style with modern energy.

Alice in Chains Awards

• Multiple Grammy Award nominations, including Best Hard Rock Performance for “Man in the Box,” “I Stay Away,” “Grind,” “Again,” “Check My Brain,” and “A Looking in View.”
• MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film for “Would?” (1993).
• Kerrang! Icon Award (2009).
• RIAA certifications: multiple gold and multi-platinum albums, including Dirt, Facelift, and Jar of Flies.
• VH1 ranking as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and one of the 15 Greatest Live Bands by Hit Parader.

Alice in Chains Singles

Year	Single	Album / Source	US Hot 100	US Mainstream Rock	US Rock (Alt/Hot Rock)	UK Singles
1990	We Die Young	We Die Young EP / Facelift	—	—	×	—
1991	Man in the Box	Facelift	—	18	×	—
1991	Bleed the Freak	Facelift (promo)	—	—	×	—
1991	Sea of Sorrow	Facelift (promo)	—	27	×	—
1992	Would?	Dirt / Singles OST	—	31	15	19
1992	Them Bones	Dirt	—	24	×	26
1992	Angry Chair	Dirt	—	34	×	33
1993	Rooster	Dirt	—	7	×	—
1993	Down in a Hole	Dirt	—	10	×	36
1993	What the Hell Have I	Last Action Hero (promo)	—	19	×	—
1994	No Excuses	Jar of Flies	—	1	×	—
1994	I Stay Away	Jar of Flies	—	10	×	—
1994	Don’t Follow	Jar of Flies (airplay)	—	25	×	—
1994	Got Me Wrong	Clerks OST / Sap (promo)	—	7	×	—
1995	Grind	Alice in Chains	—	7	×	23
1996	Heaven Beside You	Alice in Chains	—	3	×	35
1996	Again	Alice in Chains	—	8	×	—
1996	Over Now	Unplugged	—	4	×	—
1999	Would? (airplay)	Nothing Safe	—	19	×	—
1999	Get Born Again	Nothing Safe	—	4	×	—
1999	Fear the Voices	Music Bank	—	11	×	—
2000	Man in the Box (live)	Live	—	39	×	—
2009	A Looking in View	Black Gives Way to Blue	—	12	27	—
2009	Check My Brain	Black Gives Way to Blue	92	1	1	—
2009	Your Decision	Black Gives Way to Blue	—	1	1	—
2010	Lesson Learned	Black Gives Way to Blue	—	4	10	—
2012	Hollow	The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here	—	1	37	—
2013	Stone	The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here	—	1	37	—
2013	Voices	The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here	—	3	—	—
2016	Tears	Rush — 2112 (40th Anniversary)	—	—	—	—
2018	The One You Know	Rainier Fog	—	9	36	—
2018	So Far Under	Rainier Fog	—	—	—	—
2018	Never Fade	Rainier Fog	—	10	—	—
2019	Rainier Fog	Rainier Fog	—	20	—	—

Notes: “×” = chart not yet existing/archived for that metric in that period, per source table. UK peaks shown when listed.