Layne Staley Death — 505 Minor Avenue, Seattle

Layne Staley, the vocalist of Alice in Chains, was found dead in his condominium at 505 Minor Avenue on Seattle's First Hill on April 19, 2002. He had died approximately two weeks earlier, on April 5 — the eighth anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. He was 34 years old. The cause of death was a speedball overdose (heroin and cocaine). Staley had been living in near-total isolation for several years, rarely leaving the apartment, and weighed reportedly less than 86 pounds at the time of his death.

Layne Staley's voice — a haunted, powerful instrument capable of both soaring melody and guttural anguish — defined Alice in Chains' sound across albums like Facelift (1990), Dirt (1992), and the acoustic EP Jar of Flies (1994). Songs like 'Man in the Box,' 'Would?,' 'Rooster,' and 'Down in a Hole' were among the finest of the grunge era, and Staley's unflinching lyrics about addiction — written from inside the experience rather than from recovery — gave Alice in Chains a harrowing authenticity that set them apart from their Seattle peers.

The condominium building on Minor Avenue is a private residence. Staley's remains were cremated and his ashes divided between his family. A memorial bench was placed in Viretta Park in the Denny-Blaine neighbourhood, near Kurt Cobain's former home, where fans leave tributes to both musicians. Alice in Chains eventually reformed with vocalist William DuVall, but Staley's voice remains irreplaceable in the band's legacy.