For all the conversation about grunge songwriters and lead singers like Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, and Eddie Vedder, perhaps the best singing voice of all of the great bands from the Pacific Northwest was Layne Staley of Alice in Chains.
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The pale, blond Bellevue, Washington-born artist could hum low, growl, and scrape the tops of clouds with his voice. His vocal talents undeniably helped to make his group one of the most formidable grunge acts ever.
[RELATED: The Best 17 Eddie Vedder Quotes]
Sadly, though, Staley died from a drug overdose on April 5, 2002, at just 34 years old. While fans of the singer know his songs well, they may not be familiar with what he had to say about transcending drama, Los Angeles, Kurt Cobain, and more. Below are the best Layne Staley quotes.
1. “There’s no huge, deep message in any of the songs. We recorded a few months of being human.”
2. “My bad habits aren’t my title. My strengths and my talent are my title.”
3. “Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be.”
4. “We write about ourselves because we know about ourselves.”
5. “My bed isn’t made, I’m tired, I haven’t slept well for two weeks. I haven’t been laid in a month. I don’t have a girlfriend. I have a warrant for my arrest.”
6. “I’ve always looked for the perfect life to step into. I’ve taken all the paths to get where I wanted. But no matter where I go, I still come home.”
7. “There were a lot of drugs. We kinda just passed the time that way. For a couple of years we were all doin’ anything we could get our hands on.”
8. “People have a right to ask questions and dig deep when you’re hurting people and things around you.”
9. “I don’t do much else but stay in my hotel room.”
10. “I don’t think any drug that can cause brain damage, failing kidneys, hardening arteries, pain, and suffering should be made available.”
11. “I started out when I was about 12, playing drums. I started singing when I was about 15.”
12. “I don’t take part in it the way I used to-the bimbos, the free beers, free drugs, all that. That’s still there if you want it, but I don’t really seek that out any more.”
13. “Drugs will have a huge effect on my work for the rest of my life, whether I’m using or not.”
14. “When everyone goes home, you’re stuck with yourself.”
15. “Our perception of songs that we’ve written… the meaning changes from day to day… to whatever stage we’re at in our life and careers.”
16. “We try to be real nice and friendly to people, but sometimes they take advantage of that.”
17. “I guess I can go anywhere I want. If only I knew where to go.”
18. “Drugs are not the way to the light. They won’t lead to a fairy-tale life, they lead to suffering.”
19. “Andrew Wood’s death changed things for a few weeks. I probably got even heavier into drugs after that.”
20. “Los Angeles, I don’t like that town. Too decadent, and it’s slimy.”
21. “Kurt and I weren’t the closest of friends, but I knew him well enough to be devastated by his death. For such a quiet person, he was so excited about having a child.”
22. “Music is the doorway that has led me to drawing, photography, and writing.”
23. “It was all about music, about getting your friends to come and see you play. I don’t see that same intimacy happening very much today.”
24. “We started this band as kids, and as time has gone on, we’ve grown and are learning to accommodate each others’ differences.”
25. “I sing like a lark.”
Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
