Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr was found dead Tuesday afternoon (March 8). Police found Starr’s body in a Salt Lake City, Utah, house at 1:42 p.m. He was 44 years old.
Mike, a founding member of Alice In Chains, parted ways with the band in 1993 while touring in support of their 2nd album Dirt. Battling drug addiction for the better part of 20 years, it seems that he may have lost the battle.
I will never understand just why so many great and talented musicians fall prey to the hand of doom and succumb to the evils of such vile drugs. Andrew Wood, Layne Stayley, Shannon Hoon just to name a few are examples of supremely talented people who for some reason or another turned to drugs as an escape from whatever pain it was they were feeling in life. As a result, this kind of struggle gave us some amazing songs. They channeled the pain of their addiction and sorrow into their music but unfortunately the music wasn’t enough.
Starr had made an appearance on Celebrity Rehab which I think is a fucking terrible show. Exploiting these people on television for the world to see isn’t going to help these people rid their demons. After six months of being clean, Starr was picked up by police for possession of drugs. I feel sadness in my heart for yet another fallen one. My best goes out to his family, friends and loved ones.
RIP Mike Starr. I hope that death has finally set you free.
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