Alice in Chains members Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Mike Inez, and William DuVall have sold their music catalogs with the band to Round Hill Music, just days after the estates of original AIC singer Layne Staley and bassist Mike Starr sold their catalogs to Primary Wave.
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Under the deal, which was reportedly closed at $50 million, Round Hill has acquired full interest in copyrights belonging to the four current Alice In Chains band members’ masters and publishing, which includes 94 compositions and 159 recordings.
The deal excludes the catalogs belonging to the estates of original AIC singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002, and original bassist Mike Starr, who also passed away in 2011, but does include the band’s earlier tracks including “Man in the Box,” “Rooster,” and “Would?” and other tracks written by the band’s key songwriter, Cantrell, but excludes the guitarist’s solo material.
Formed in Seattle by Cantrell and Kinney in 1987, Alice in Chains ascended during the 1990s grunge era, twisting through classic rock, punk, and beyond. Early on, the band’s 1994 EP Jar of Flies and their self-titled album in 1995, reached No. 1.
Following the death of Staley, the band took a hiatus before returning with new member William DuVall. The band released their sixth album Rainier Fog in 2018.
“If you look at the grunge category, there was Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden,” says Josh Gruss, founder, and CEO of Round Hill in a statement. “There’s such a loyalty with the fan base and such quality to the music. Alice in Chains music still holds up really, really well, and there’s just nothing else like it.”
Photo: Pamela Littky
