Gene Simmons recalled how history repeated itself with the band who replaced Stone Temple Pilots on KISS’ “Alive/Worldwide” tour: Alice in Chains and their frontman Layne Staley.
“And then I saw Layne [Staley] backstage,” Simmons continued. “We got Alice in Chains because we loved the band. And before he went up on stage, I said, ‘Layne, this is your chance, I want you to be straight,’ and all that stuff. And shortly thereafter, he died.”
In April 2002, Staley suffered the same fate as Weiland, passing away from a drug overdose.
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan then shared his thoughts on Staley’s death: “Layne’s a tough one, obviously Scott too, but I remember watching from the side of the stage [when Alice In Chains opened for KISS’ at Tiger Stadium in 1996]. They kind of hadn’t played for a couple of years because of Layne’s drug issues. Layne was super-skinny, he’s wearing almost like this black spider kind of…but his voice, that voice that would come out of that body? Unbelievable.”
Reflecting on how so many legendary musicians have fallen victim to addiction, Simmons added: “And so why don’t you recognize that magic that affects everybody in yourself to keep yourself alive? What is that? That goes with Cobain and other people.”
“I wrote a book called ’27’, that’s about the 27 Club. Mind-blowing, all these super talented and lucky people who never realized the amazing impact they had, just to keep themselves alive.”
