Mike Starr 1966-2011
Sad News from Salt Lake City. Original Alice in Chains bass player Mike Starr passed away this past Tuesday. Found at 1 PM by friend and lead singer from "Days of the New" Travis Meeks. Star had been struggling with sobriety and seemed to be winning but was still using prescription meds. 3 weeks earlier he'd been arrested for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Starr appeared on Season 3 of Celebrity Rehab and clearly had issues not only with substance abuse, but a violent and abusive temperament while detoxing, and a lot of deep regret over the loss of Alice In Chains vocalist and his close friend Layne Staley.
Mike left the band during their tour supporting the album dirt. For years I'd wondered why he'd dropped out of the band and would occasionally google him (before celebrity rehab) and could never find anything on him...I was shocked to see him pop back up and then immediately saddened by seeing him in the throws of such heavy addiction, the stories of doing drugs with his dad, ripping off fans for money, blowing all his royalties, it was just weird and sickening stuff to hear and see.
Drugs suck period.
It's a wasted life all around...Layne threw it all away as well....and it's such a shame.
In a statement, the band said: “Members of Alice in Chains are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy – and the privacy of the Starr family – during this difficult time. Their thoughts and prayers are with the Starr family.”
I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Layne one on one at a sound check while the band was touring for Facelift...a really nice sweet guy...he hung out with myself and a friend of mine and talked about how excited he was to start their next tour which was playing with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax of all bands on a new tour touted "Clash of the Titans" (1991)...very similar to the BIG FOUR tour going on now but 20 years earlier...and obviously without Metallica.
Such talent taken away far too soon. We'll always have the old albums to go back and enjoy, but it would have been great to have more.
RIP Mike.
(written by boyinblack80)
