Jerry Cantrell Talks About The Death Of Layne Staley - July 2002 Interview

Jerry Cantrell Interview with Canada's TV show MuchLoud in July 2002, when Jerry was in the country for the festival Edgefest. Jerry talks about his solo career and the recent death of Alice in Chains' bandmate Layne Staley.
Host: George Stroumboulopoulos
Reporter: Hannah Sung
More Jerry Cantrell/Alice in Chains videos:
• Jerry Cantrell/Alice i...
Jerry Cantrell Pays Tribute to Layne Staley Holding a T-shirt With Layne's Photo On Stage (04/27/2002):
• Jerry Cantrell Paying ...
Jerry Cantrell adopted Layne Staley's cat Sadie after Layne passed away:
• Jerry Cantrell adopted...
Twitter: / shirleycobain
Facebook: / shirleycobain1

[@scotwells7573]

I'm glad Jerry stuck around and continued to make music, one of the best guitarists in rock.

[@yuritarded4774]

Scot Wells definitely

[@conormufc5824]

He's a riff god

[@nachoyustefernandez5933]

I don't care how many seventh arpeggios or exotic scales X player dominates, I've never listened to any guitarist who integrates a dark and deeply expressive, crying like phrasing so naturally and true, even in the context of grungey alternative metal or even a more traditional hard rock style. He's a riff lord indeed, and his solos sound so honest, so true to the song meanings that it really is the perfect guitar playing match to Layne's singing.

[@nachoyustefernandez5933]

Authentic is the word I was looking for. I apologize for my possibly wrong english

[@marieryan7973]

And one of the best writers in rock

[@john-wg2vm]

You can kind of tell based on just Jerry's behavior and body language that he hadn't seen/heard from Layne in years and that he probably said goodbye to him a long time before this.

[@Paarthurnaxdova]

They didn’t get along after about 1996. Layne went on to play with Mad season and class of 99. At the end, Layne said to one interviewer “don’t talk to my old band members, they are not my friends”. I’m sure they argued a lot about his heroin addiction, Jerry’s and Mikes alcoholism and Sean’s pill habit etc. they was all a mess at one point. Either way, Jerry and Layne was close for a long time and I’m sure the destruction of their band and his death caused a ton of pain for Jerry and everyone else. Mike committed suicide via drug overdose years later because of all the guilt involved.

[@tristafreisinger1987]

Truly heartbreaking 💔🖤

[@jaymz]

Ravens Moon McDonald of sleat that interview with layne in 2001-2002 was proven to be fake, he never said the alice in chains band members werent his friends. although there was quite a bit of tension within the band when it was on its last legs, but at that point layne really couldnt control his addiction anymore.

[@mark83175]

Good call.

[@ssherrierable]

@@Paarthurnaxdova yea but it was 1998 he did the last 2 chains songs.

[@nolanc5666]

i absolutely love Jerry. i'd also like to commend the interviewer for her excellent questions and the way she gently allowed Jerry to speak his mind in an incredibly difficult time.

[@animaljustice7774]

When you hear Layne singing you know it’s him, no one else

[@virginiahudgins4120]

Jerry has the greatest riffs

[@manuelduranc1621]

Love hate love

[@alexwilde1975]

What a tragic waste. Resting in eternal peace. Layne, Chester, Kurt, Amy.

[@justanotherloser2572]

Alex Wilde Amy who? Sorry, just don’t listen to any females..

[@adamturner1563]

Winehouse! .. im guessing.

[@yncasasue9721]

Alex Wilde Shannon hoon

[@rightcoast7049]

He wasn't a waste, he made great music that got a lot of people through some dark times. It's a shame how it ended though.

[@bryant_lenny8238]

Cornell?

[@scottherrmann1358]

That look at 1:48 said everything about how much Jerry loved Layne.

[@trueaspect5888]

I noticed that as well, sad.

[@themarsquatch420]

Heart wrenching.

[@TheStepmonkey]

It's like he wanted to cry right there 😢

[@christopherfava2529]

Yes,they were like brothers,he knew Layne was going out,he just couldn't help him towards the end, they all tried to help him

[@maxpalmer3212]

I miss Layne so much his voice is amazing

[@vitorcunha5249]

1:49 That was a great question by the interviewer. She had to ask him about the obvious, since Staley had just passed away, but then she cared enough to ask Cantrell how he felt going through all of it publicly. I thought it was very interesting that she switched the focus from Cantrell's relationship with his dear friend to his interaction with the media and with the public through the media while dealing with the trauma. I felt as if she gave him room to even criticize her job, as she stated it was hard for her to ask all those blunt questions. You don't get that a lot from the media, specially in the music industry, where they tend to exploit band's members' personal dramas.

[@MusickopatH]

Jerry is great musician and humble normal guy. I like him he got balls and brains. He probably had a descent childhood

[@Iceis_Phoenix]

Such a good friend to Layne. So 😥

[@hallowmaxberry74]

It must have been so fucking dificult trying seing your friends die in front of you and dealing with their choices that affect you as a person like making a legal living being ready to work and make music and not being able to do tours or shows records being stuck in limbo for years at a time . And also losing 2 close friends band mates to mental illnes and addiction and losing your company yes cause bands are companies and they employe quite a few people its not just the 4 guys on stage it takes many talented people to bring shows and records to the public. I hope jerry and shean have been able to heal from this because its been a long 32 years so much hardship they all have been through thank you AIC for the many hours of joy u guys brought to us all ,and RIP LAYNE and Mike

[@darryyllklarkey3964]

I was 18 when i was at this show in Barrie ontario. Jerry/the group got their late and were pissed when they got on stage. It was awesome. Sevendust butted the line and Jerry was very vocal about that. He called them Sevenfuck.

[@johnbowen35]

Layne Staley left behind a legacy of music, that has no equal, and he was surrounded by those whom he both loved and trusted.....he was a son, a brother, an artist of phenomenal talent, his personal struggles were known to those who were closest to him, that's private stuff, none of my business. I too, like everyone else, wish he were still here, performing with his bros in Alice...I'm a combat veteran, and AIC gets all the credit for lifting me up, on the many sleepless nights I go thru....I wish yall peace and love

[@freeman4real]

People forget Layne was one of the biggest people that was pushing Jerry to sing HIS SONGS and do it himself put himself out front. I think Layne would of been super proud of Jerry in the end.

[@jenns7930]

I miss him Layne🙏😭, and the Alice in chains band😔

[@sevenpointfiveounce]

I know exactly what I was doing when I heard. I was working at a Dollar Store arranging product in some bins that they put outside the store when you walk in. My manager came out and told me the news. He was a few years older than me, so he had been into this music longer than I had been; I was just a few years too young to see Alice In Chains live. I borrowed some Blind Melon albums off of him and we talked about music quite a bit, although he had moved on to the jam band scene and Bonnaroo festivals at this time (2002). However, I immediately got a sense that while Layne's demise had been brewing for years, it was still sad, and seemingly went quietly in the news. That was the most curious thing, in that he was such a natural talent gone to waste, but his death went unnoticed on a grander scale. I don't know what it is like to be hooked on heroin, but that doesn't make me any less appreciable of the music, and I am eternally grateful to this beautiful soul who was always honest in his artistic delivery - one of the only artists that I've ever come across that could make you feel the music without any put-on. Rest in peace, good sir.

[@eddieweiss1485]

man he was very talented

[@filipposstavro1233]

2:32 is that Robert Trujjilo on bass?

[@ReidGarwin]

Yes

[@MLCrow]

*Trujillo

[@19stoned90]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGjGmoqIhd2CmbM

[@jesusresendiz875]

"AND WE DIE YOUNG!"

[@MikeDavis-be8gf]

Jerry adopted Layne's cat sadie after he passed that alone should tell you what kinda friend he was

[@andrewhatton1606]

Take me back😢😢

[@woodywoodlstein9519]

So this is literally just a few months after it happened.

[@srujan00]

3+ months after, and Jerry was in Canada

[@scottashe984]

Literally as opposed to what?

[@mundayn1629]

Love song take one

[@Wemyss333]

Wow remember Much Loud

[@AeroGem]

I had that on whenever I was at home.

[@M_D93]

It’s Stingray Loud now. Basically rock and metal music videos and concerts on 24/7 rotation.

[@mariek130]

What's the last song that comes on in the last few seconds? Never heard it before, I don't think.

[@ShirleyCobain]

Anger Rising

[@frankgile1996]

@@ShirleyCobain It's one of Jerry's songs, not with Alice In Chains, but with many other artists, including Robert Trujilo, and a couple of guys from "Faith No More", if I'm not mistaken...

[@MLCrow]

frankgile1996 Just one guy from FNM (drummer Mike Bordin)

[@eduardoibarra8458]

1:49 bro wants to cry 😭

[@tonyrobles2696]

😶💥❤️

[@jetstorm6536]

If Jerry got skinny again he'd be a sexy dad

[@noahhanlin2181]

Name of song

[@Pixpi]

Is he at a sunday soccer game

[@lithiumAEON]

Someone tell me whats the song at 0:30

[@ShirleyCobain]

Anger Rising

[@BackffBtch]

Looks like y’all in Sunnyvale park😂 n wat kinda car drivin behind bro at 1:00😂💀🍻

[@AmericanSpyFox]

It sucks so bad for Jerry that his Mother never got to see how far he went with his guitar.

[@suicideheadaches4460]

Yo fox can you dive deeper into laynes last year of 2 of life? What the relationships were really like and what not?

[@dianamariee01]

That long nervous laugh hahaha that'd be me

[@Vivi_Chan1111]

When we talk about twin flame, people automatically think about romantic relationships. Jerry and Layne were twin flames, just like Lennon and McCartney, who came with no romantic purposes, that's why they were so intense together

[@Natacha1111]

right! But i like more the term soulmate... not all soulmates are lovers. some of them come down here for a purpose they have to do and experience together.

[@Ari-rp6pq]

My thoughts exactly except I would also call it 'soulmates'.. It was so strong that you could even feel it.. Based on old footage of AIC before '96, you can tell Jerry's demeanor was different and changed after his death, rightfully so. He seemed happy and would joke around a lot.. it was visible on his face. His pain was always visible to me.. Idk if it's just me but I could tell. Breaks my heart for Jerry..

[@Andys61724]

Very true

[@nadia562010]

Yup Layne and Jerry's voices were meant to be together ❤️

[@Scorpio_Moonshine]

It's a soul family.

[@pagliano.selanne]

‘I’m a rock musician. I’m not like a politican or trying to make a big statement. I’m just trying to make decent music and make something that can last and that I’m happy with. And at the end of the day that’s all I need to do’

[@Mindmartyr]

That should be the mentality of every musician. No one cares about your "message", good music speaks to the general human condition.

[@Bo-Dog]

Jerry Cantrell founded the best alt. heavy metal band(AIC)... RIP Layne lyrics made the man.

[@joshc4927]

Jerry wrote most every Alice song. Layne wrote like 3. Layne made up most all the choruses

[@fratersol]

When jerry came on they was already aic

[@dasein9980]

@@fratersol not exactly. Reread their bio.

[@lovingklimt]

@@joshc4927 what are you talking about? Layne wrote more than half of the lyrics for the band.

[@MLCrow]

Layne wrote about 50% of the songs' lyrics...and he wrote entirely (music & lyrics) 3 songs: Angry Chair, Hate to Feel, Head Creeps.

[@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns]

Don't look too much into Jerry's responses here. He was still in the grip of addiction at this point. He jumped over a cliff to escape being dragged to rehab a year later.

[@AeroGem]

I’m so glad he got stuck in that bush.

[@christopherfava2529]

They were brothers

[@anthonycook9537]

He is so right AIC somgs had a darker tone after he died even tho the songs didnt change

[@eva-vs1zu]

oh jerry :( bless your beautiful soul❤️

[@jessehutchings]

Jerry doesn't deal with the politics of society (much) but he deals with the politics of the human heart a lot.

[@kaiobikeg8749]

Seen Jerry last weekend in Houston playing is solo band. He FUCKING rocks. He has by fall the best set list I’ve ever heard from any band. He cranked out some solo material and blasted out a huge dose of AIC hits and b sides. 🤘🏻

[@JH-sn8kg]

Well said mr. Cantrell

[@connoriquada5429]

He seems like such a chill dude.

[@Matt-rc4gb]

feel real old now, since this does NOT feel that long ago...

[@sharonhare4835]

Jerry is the genius of AIC!!!

[@brittanymurphy498]

Sharon Hare that may be true but aic wouldn't have been the same without layne

[@joseph-8518]

Brittany Murphy jerry and layne were the dynamic duo and the genius of aic

[@MLCrow]

Brittany Murphy Yes, but AIC wouldn't have been the same without Jerry too

[@kevenrowe2958]

@@joseph-8518 layne was layne ,jerry is AIC

[@manwithtwoeyes6911]

I respect Jerry. Only in the music industry to make good music, not to make a political statement. We need a lot more of those now adays.

[@dannymadness1382]

Thank God I know right.I have never respected musicians and lame celebrities less then in 2019.

[@stepheng887]

What political statement did he make?

[@johnper2302]

Why are you so afraid of artists voicing their political opinions? Are you afraid them saying something you don't like?

[@hankhill5622]

John Per no there just in no position to lecture the public day in and day out on politics with there music. People get tired of that crap, same reason nobody watches the Oscars anymore.

[@benedictfiremonkey7072]

@@johnper2302 Why would you want to alienate a good portion of your audience to make political statements? Why should we the people take into consideration what our favourite artists think about politics? Let art be art dude.

[@assumity]

Jerry always struck me as a class act. While so many of his contemporaries would give goofball interviews where they were intentionally weird and evasive, Cantrell’s interviews are always coherent and thoughtful. I know that music journalists can be clueless idiots, but I feel Jerry’s approach shows respect for his fans, who are really interested in what he has to say.

[@angelinac7411]

What an amazing human.

[@sticcckkko7480]

Rip layne.

[@thehawk5366]

Gone but NEVER forgotten

[@SomewhereInTheMaidenverse]

It was all still so raw for Jerry. 😢

[@CrystalBallersRock]

Hard to imagine losing your brother in arms like that and being able to carry the music forward. Really happy he did. Jerry is such a great songwriter.

[@willliam1343]

Solid interview. He's a good guy

[@NinjaSushi2]

Fuckin Jerry is a damn good guy.

[@cloudsugar272]

Only three months after Layne's passing. Seems a bit soon to me.

[@gc8972b]

the band had been doing nothing for years. they weren't talking, layne was a hermit, album was already in the works. what do you want?

[@Olubumni]

Apparently, everyone should put their life on hold when someone dies or suffers from addiction. That’s not how life works.

[@DonnyLusk]

Jerry saved my life.

[@Matt-oy7pz]

Jerry’s great at just.. keepin’ it real, and being transparent

[@mundayn1629]

Good stuff you post

[@ottomatic3123]

Yes, at the end of the day, that's all you need to do. Keep rockin' and providing us with great music!

[@kanachanwhisper7174]

Such a class act as always

[@KD_1989]

Jerry being humble. That reporter probably doesn’t even know he wrote the majority of their hit songs

[@bnlly3]

Awesome questions from the lady. It's just straight forward and alittle careful. Long live Layne. Rest easy.

[@JamesFrederickstech]

gd Jerry is the best.

[@grimmd]

That's gut wrenching to see his feels when you reference it to this interview from 1995. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoDPl4Vjqa10es0

[@StONed-yx5qq]

I always took Layne as the frontman of the band. It was always good to hear new AIC!! He is s singer you know instantly when you hear him. After his death he still has remained that for me and my AIC experience of the 90s.. Buddy Holly at the end of the 50s inspired British Wave JimiJimJanis in one year in 70s inspired guitarist and singers amuck… BonBonhamLennon in one year in 80s brought the end to one major act and inspired another to go above and beyond in popularity…Lennon’s death just really completely sucked… in 91 SRV ‘s death inspired guitarist all around and mainly in Seattle as a second coming to pay attention to..Cobain’s death inspired conspiracy and Layne’s was the capper to it all. Without his demons he could not have become who we love..tortured or not…it’s how he motivated fans to listen.

[@zombeast23]

💕 💕 💕 💕

[@zombeast23]

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

[@jitterball]

I mean, shit! Rock has died. What do you listen to these days?!

[@GalaxyIsADork]

Nothing good😭my phone is downloaded only with 60s to 2000 pretty much

[@winnie6203]

@@GalaxyIsADork good choice. Same with my Sirius stations.

[@isolirionband7300]

No, Rock is not Dead, come to my channel to listen Original Stuff. Also, search better, there is still good stuff around on internet, just look better.

[@thedriver9735]

this was the month and year i was born

[@mariaemiliadilucahaltrich1563]

wow you are so younggggg

[@thomasmccreight3879]

I was born a few months before your birthday in March but I came a year early

[@natepolidoro4565]

I was born in July 2002.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales7218]

Layne Thomas Staley (Kirkland, Washington, 22 de agosto de 1967-Seattle, Washington, 5 de abril de 2002) fue un músico estadounidense, vocalista y letrista de Alice in Chains, una de las cuatro bandas más importantes del movimiento rock alternativo y grunge en Seattle. La banda se hizo famosa por su distintivo estilo vocal, que combinaba la desgarradora y talentosa voz de Staley con las voces armónicas del guitarrista y también vocalista de la banda Jerry Cantrell. Durante toda su carrera Layne Staley luchó contra una severa adicción a las drogas, que terminaría causando su muerte en el año 2002.

[@jonathanholbrook8581]

I like that Jerry doesn't insert his political opinions into his music like Green Day and System of a down. It alienates your fans who have differing opinions. Everyone has a right to their own opinions, you don't have to shove yours into people's faces

[@oliviasaunders2333]

You're right, everyone does have a right to their opinions, which is why some bands express said opinions in their music. They're not shoving it in people's faces; nobody is holding you at gunpoint to buy their record or listen to their song on the radio.