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I was Mikes bass tech for years up till Facelift was released.... And yeah, he was a crazy great friend ! I'm glad I got out of that lifestyle. Jeff Hubbard
I met Mike at a Red Lion motel at a vending machine. He asked me if I had ever heard of Alice in chains. I said yes and he told me he was the bassist. I said you're Mike Inez? He said no Mike Starr the original bass. He had gained some weight didn't quite look the same but he came to our room and smoked a blunt with us. Told us stories and we asked him questions. We asked if he ever met Pantera. He said" I was on the god home video blraaghhh!" We were like oh shit this is Mike star we had seen that video a dozen times. Hung out with us for a couple hours then left. He died 6 month are so after that. Hearing his story from his mouth was a real privilege. He was incredibly nice to us. RIP Mike.
I remember watching that rehab show when Starr poured his heart out to Layne's mom..... the guilt, the regret, the pain was so heavy. It was hard to watch, I felt so bad for him. It just showed how tortured he was from Layne's death and how it ended. He never got over it.
Hope they found that peace with our Savior. From experience, the only source that can heal and bring love, light, forgiveness and comprehension. Seeing remorse and understanding of one’s wrongs and actions that’s caused others hurt is the first step and evidence to being on the road to redemption. We’ve all fallen and some of the worst transgressors never touched substances or rather wasn’t on them nor the reason for cutting ppl down with their tongues and actions; some of the worst hypocrites of all. At least some have reasons (not excuses) while others never face their shortcomings and embarrassing Shane they’ve brought to their families and showing their arses to the world. Have an uncle like that 🤢🤮, it’s ok for him to drink and the coward he is pick on a child or woman but a person who’s legitimately sick that needs medication, “they’re pill heads.” He and his ex destroyed their son by using him as the escape goat and hurting him and neglect and was a lying thief like his older sister before age ten. Yeah but “drugs” caused all his issues. It’s sickening how ppl blame everything on drugs and take no responsibility or accountability. Yes, they’re terrible. Especially meth, etc, don’t uphold that at all. And these enablers hollering it’s a disease, well yeah the brain gets required but the majority of those ppl who do bad things on stuff, did bad things before ever touching it. Just excuses and doesn’t help anything. Some are just bad ppl, some are good ppl with dealing with issues and pain and they’re are folks that never took from anyone or did wrong to feed that dependency or addiction. It all depends upon the person,circumstances and not all fit into one basket. Definitely a difference between a junkie whose given up everything by choice and one who has a medical dependency but holding it together and fighting tooth and nail. So much stigma and polarizing of either or instead addressing the grey area and whole truth. This society has did away with wrongs, accountability, responsibility but blames everything under the sun and moon for their own poor choices and lack of self discipline and will power. On a very dangerous download spiral while evil accepts and cheerleads ppl to their graves. Hoping more ppl are waking up to the warfare we are under.
but at the same time we were watching him become part of a legend bigger than life...he was the last to see Layne. Amazing. Imagine sitting on that couch with them that day, listening to Layne talk about seeing Demri's ghost...Legendary, even mythological, stuff.
@@joejones9520 Give me a break man, you weren't there and it sounds like you don't understand just how selfish and unreliable someone caught in the throes of addiction can become. At the point Starr was fired, there was no guarantee AIC was going to make it.... yes they had a few big hits but at the end of the day when someone's behavior and bad habits get in the way of the band functioning properly (recording/touring/promoting/etc. etc.) it's on the leader of the band to make things right. Layne was able to avoid getting fired only because he was indispensable to the band and its sound. Unfortunately for Mike Starr, he was expendable and the band was better off finding a reliable replacement that would commit to the band.
@@brookinghouseof9457 yes the old rock and roll dream live hard fast die young make a good looking corpses is and was wrong . And even those who survived battle THIER own demons .so .... conservatism def. Wrong. But.........
Lyrical content was extremely prophetic as well. The whole album is incredible, easily in my top 5. McCready and Saunders had just cleaned up we’re hoping to rub off on Layne, but alas, it wasn’t to be
The only person who should feel guilty about Layne's death is Layne. I don't mean that in a mean spirited sense, rather nobody is to blame for his choices. Even if those choices were induced and facilitated by addiction. RIP Layne and Mike.
Seeing Mike on Celebrity rehab, he seemed like a very self absorbed man. He didn't seem to understand talent is just one thing you need in music. Everything else needed, he seemed to lack. He should have just bought a little house and lived off whatever he had. He became the rock star he always wanted. it didn't last and almost never does. RIP Mike
Whats crazy nobody ever talks about Mike.. He was a legendary bass player. He had that funky bass like cliff and that technical playing like most only dream of. Definitely deserves way more respect. Top 10..maybe top 5 of all time. RESPECT💯🎶🎸
Theres a Nardwar video with Nirvana where he asks Kurt about the Hollywood Rock Festival show to which Kurt replied "I dont remember any of that show. I was up all night shooting coke with the guys from Alice in Chains." It was a very memorable Nirvana performance an by fsr considered their worst by critics. They hadnt been in the same state in 6 months and hadnt played together in 9. Kurt was in pajamas and out of rhythym the whole set. Forgetting words...not sure if same night or just same tour but Flea played the trumpet on Smells Like Teen Spirit, they all switched instruments while kurt sang and drummed Terry Jack's Seasons in the Sun and then they did an encore in dresses. Kurt was in a blackout for the majority from the xanax they sell over the counter in S America he took to come down from the coke binge and he could barely play. This was the last time they ever appeared as a 3 piece. Pat Smear eould join the band before they toured for in utero and after recording it which they had begun to do on this tour. Those recordings make up much of the boxset from 04. On an episode of Sobdr House or Celeb Rehab, Star says that night was the first time he shot up and that kurt did it for him. Lemmy from Motorheads wife said that Kurt called their house that night asking Lemmy, then sober, if he knew where they could score dope in Brazil. He said "no" and hung up. That was the first and last time kurt ever called him. They also talked about Lemmys wedding. Mike Star was on Methadone. Be and his father went to a clinic everyday where theyd buy xanax and coke to shoot all day before going on celebrity rehab. He ultimately got off methadone but died from an alcohol and xanax combination overdose after months of abstinence. Drugs really suck. Celebrity rehab did exlote peoplr but it also took alot of the romance out of drug addiction. Its one thing to "burn out" like Kurt but to "fade away" as Mike Star did os not nearly as glamorous... like shooting coke all night in Brazil sounds fun and is glamorous...sitting in a broken down minivan on your front lawn and shooting a tiny bag of coke and then also splitting a xanax bar with your dad is not so glamorous and only sounds fun if youre an addict... 60 lbs heavier 20 years older 1 million dollars poorer w/ nothing to show but track marks and stories from when before the band kicked you out...and thatx a happy ending for a drug addict. Dudes dead. Theres no coming back from that. Just cuz it didnt kill you yesterday doesnt mean youre promised tomorrow. Dude toured the world shooting drugs and in the end a rx xanax and a rum and coke killed him. Sux.
I went to Jr High and High School with Mike Starr. He was always a really nice guy and close to his Sister who is also a beautiful human being. A life that ended way too soon.
@@spookshow6999 how? Layne was recording and making music with other people which Cantrell even said made him kind of jealous, like Layne was cheating on him. That doesnt sound like him pushing Layne away; sounds like he knew Layne was invaluable to the band. Then even when Layne was a recluse they begged and enticed him to come and record some songs Jerry wrote. Layne added lyrics and did his trademark layered vocal tracks, then disappeared back into his condo until he finally died..he himself chose to ignore the band and rest of the world.
Pretty much. Layne calling the crow a raven by bitching to Mike about Mike taking benzos and how he needed to get off of them?! If I were Mike I would’ve gotten super fuckin pissed, too!
and in all interviews the whole band is just like a bunch of spicolli's but then they start playing and goddam, they crossed into an ethereal region of extremely complex music and virtuoso singing, playing and songwriting that I never get used to...
One of the craziest, disrupted paths? For Seattle bands, Mother Love Bone, what we now know as Pearl Jam, had disruption. Fate is real. So many musicians deal with this crap. It's unfortunate.
@@ministerofdarkness You're correct, it took a while to get the record noticed. Doesn't change the fact it came out close to an entire year before the song and album became popular.
When I saw AIC a couple years back during the end part of Nutshell Will and Mike Inez stepped back from where they were standing and all the lights went off but two spotlights were shined on the empty spaces at the mic, and where Mike was standing to honor Layne and Mike Starr. It brought tears to my eyes.
I vaguely remember people digging up a police report of Layne being pulled over sometime during the last 6 years of his life when he was a recluse. I think he had to appear in court over something trivial - not that it matters, but it's a small glimpse into what he mightve been up to around that time
He was a recluse. He stayed in doors and got high all day everyday… i mean for the most part. Easy to avoid problems with the law when you have dealers drop off your shit and you just sit around ur house f’ed up all day and all night.
One of my ex-employees was Mike's best friend. He gave me an early demo on CD that Mike gave him. It's pretty amazing hearing some of their hits in early form and a little punk influence. My employee had an addiction as well and couldn't quit even after Mike's death. Mike's dad was a big influence on the drug use. I'd hear stories about the binges they all would go on as if it was glamorous. My employees story ended much like Mike's. He knew better but just couldn't stop. RIP
Unless you’ve gone through opiod withdrawal, you have no idea how truly impossible it feels. Once you move from tabs\percs to oxys, it feels impossible. Once you move from oxys to smoking heroine, it feels more impossible. Once you move from smoking it, to shooting it, it’s game over! Don’t ever touch opioids if you want a happy life, even if your doctor prescribes them, don’t f***ing touch them! ANY pain is more bearable than the pain these drugs will cause you and the ones you love
I read an article in a major rock magazine after the fact that featured Alice In Chains around the time of the release of "Dirt". It seemed to revel in their use of alcohol and marijuana, but hinted at the band members used harder substances. I remember it turning me off, even as a teenager. I just thought of all the young people that might go down the wrong road because they thought it was cool.
@@whoami7721 Apparently some brewery now uses Layne's artwork for Mad Season to sell beer. Nothing tragic about that. The responses I get for pointing out the hipocracy of using any dead drug addict's work to sell more drugs is usually, "come on man. It's just beer!" Because just beer hasn't killed thousands..
Mike was my cell mate in 2007 and looked me in the eye and said " I wish I had never tried Heroin even once because it's the most wonderful feeling that you could imagine... but addictive ".
I never touched that sht precisely for that reason. Seen a ton of raw AF documentaries and it's always the same result. Greatest feeling on earth,burn all your bridges fk'ng those closest to you over,lose everything,end up destroyed or dead. Some pull through,sadly Mike isn't among the one's who have. Seemed like a really genuine guy with a big heart and a heavy addiction. RIP.
Crazy bro! I did time with him at RJC in Kent back in 2003, I was the intake trustee and he came in and was going through withdrawals. The officer staff kept ignoring his requests for methodone. He was on second balcony and when his cell mate had a visit the door opened and he jumped off top tier. Busted his head and was taken to hospital, I’ll never forget it
I've heard that exact same thing from more than one person . I've known two long time addicts, one 7 yrs the other 12 yrs, both successfully stopped, but both said, if they didn't have to stop, they wouldn't have...that's unsettling...
@@harrycollins3248 Ending the War on (Some) Drugs helps no one? You can kiss some of your liberties good bye because of that BS 'war'. Keeping them illegal just leads to more violence and corruption. American's and a few other nations (Soviet Union, Finland, parts of Canada etc) tried alcohol prohibition and it failed, badly! How modern day idiots don't see the comparison and blatant hypocrisy I do not know. Harm reduction has proven time and time again to be the better option for the health of society and individuals. Regulated markets doesn't mean you let people buy whatever they want and as much as they want. You don't need to fear relegalisation. Opium, morphine and Heroin were state regulated and users/addicts were licensed in French Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.) and the Dutch West Indies (Indonesia). Opioid users were on average 45 year old women and were actually dying from old age, not overdoses and new user's were not replace them enough, because it was illegal for the licensed user's to buy a lot (Worries about smuggling.) and also supplying non-user's, potentially facing fines and imprisonment. Taxes from them could pay for rehab and anti-addiction programmes. Less people would overdose as they'd be able to purchase their drug of choice in pharmaceutical grade and know their dosage and tolerance. Governments wouldn't waste as much money on policing, prisons and the military. Repub's say they want smaller government and individual's to take responsibility for their destiny.
Mike used to hang with my buddy Clint Settles in LA right before he passed away. They used to party like mad with other friends from NA meetings. Clint also passed away in 2018 of an H overdose. Rip.
Man, Jar of Flies was my favorite CD in my early high school days. I loved AIC. When Unplugged came out, I was actually shocked they were still a band. Such a sad story. Layne Staley was the greatest vocalist of the 90’s rock scene
still put on JoF every Fall, when the weather starts getting chilly, days get shorter and the leaves are turning. I gotta be careful though about depression- I used to be getting ready for the winter snowboarding season here in the Pac NW, now...I'm old and not doing that anymore. It's very depressing. I miss the 90's. Amazing I'm still alive... 😞
Jar of Flies is just the best. In 2011 when I got my car it had a cassette player and I would go to goodwill and get tapes of bands I had always wanted to get into. I must have listened to my Jar of Flies cassette at least a hundred times. Best EP of all time.
Thanks for doing a video on Mike. Too many people think that Mike Inez has always been there. Curly haired guys named Mike so they get confused. Mike Starr was obviously a troubled guy but an incredible talent that deserves far more credit.
there's a badass vid of starr in the 2000's being begged to get on stage with a band at a club and play bass on man in the box, he spur of the moment totally nailed it. AIC broke the magic when they fired Starr...never ever fire a founding member.
I had the opportunity to share a holding cell at the King county jail in Seattle with Mike Star. It was pretty cool, just him and I, he was getting booked for probation violations for dirty UA , I was booked for Driving with suspended license. We choped it up for about 15 minutes then they moved one of us. Best holding cell story out of my many trips to jail before I cleaned my act up....
I kinda knew him in hs. he was funny and outgoing and looked strong and healthy. him and his dad came in the dealership I worked at in about 92 or 93 in n sea. he was a wreck. we talked a bit about people from school and such. the poor guy was cooked. they bought a $30,000 car from us though. claimed Mike was getting paid by Sony to test audio equipment. I wouldn't let him drive it and it was clear to me it was for dad. it was sad, I really liked aic and to see a young guy so burnt up like that.
I knew Mike. he was such a friendly and sweet guy to meet and hang with, always very cool with people and fans. my former band opened up for AIC in 1990, I remember asking him in 1990 how AIC came up with that sound they had, he told me about the Drop D tunings that Jerry experimented with and that Soundgarden was a big influence. I also hung out with Mike in San Antonio backstage during the day in San Antonio on the Clash of the Titans tour, Mike was the only guy in AIC hanging out during the day, he told me they were all sleeping at the Hotel still. But Mike was out there talking with folks and just enjoying the tour it seemed. I was in the Air Force at the time and had 2 other AF Cadets with me in San Antonio, all of us in full dress uniform and Mike remembered me from the NY shows my band had played with him and AIC, he brought us all on the bus in our uniforms, it must have looked pretty interesting to on lookers. Mike was excited to show me his new bass, I think it was a Spectre bass, he was so enthusiastic about it and we both took turns playing it. He has busy style of playing I noticed back then. He told me his Uncle or Cousin was in the Army and he respected Military guys a lot and it made me feel good since I was still in boot camp in San Antonio and just on a day pass. I did get back into the music scene in Los Angeles years later and met up wtih Mike at the Rainbow bar with my friend Nigel Mogg from the Quireboys, we all hung out for awhile and he took off in his little convertable car that the re-hab show had gotten him. We joked with thim that is was a chicks car, he laughed and said it was a gift from the show, I got his cell number that night, still in my phone, he was going to come by my recording studio I had at the time in LA and track some bass, but 2 weeks later I heard the news of his death. Very sad, I always had a good feeling about Mike Starr, he always stood out in my mind and still does. God bless you Mike, I hope and pray you are with the Lord and have found the love you always seeked to find. Mike had a sweet soul, a very genuine and giving nature. God bless.
I am LE where Mike use to live. I had many contacts with him and we would always talk AiC if he was in trouble or not. I remember him driving around a beat up of Mazda RX-7 with his Gold Records stuffed in the back. We always got along, he always harbored guilt about Layne's death being the last person to see him alive. I was honored to be asked to provide security to AiC during his funeral.
Glad you made a vid on Mike, he’s in my top 3 bass players and theirs definitely not enough information out there on him because he is stupidly overlooked. Keep up the good work
I think mike got kicked out because him and Layne were really close and both hooked. You can’t kick Layne out and if they didn’t do something there was a very good chance those two keeping on that path might have meant the end of band a lot sooner. Just an opinion, could totally be wrong.
@@media696 I didn’t know any of them personally so I’m a little reluctant to chime in but, I had heard the under age girls thing as well and that that was a major concern.
Your theory makes sense. It’s also my theory, the only difference being that it wasn’t just about protecting the band’s and Layne’s interests, it was also about protecting Mike’s interests. They had to be separated, for everybody’s good. They were really removing his opportunity to get high by the same token. It would have been more honest though to kick them both out, but of course that would have been the end of AIC. So maybe the guilt Jerry hints at in his music has something to do with that.
I met him just a couple of days before he died. He did w guest spot for man in the box at a steel panther show. The guy was really nice. Sad story man.
Well, give him credit for causing 1000 times the suffering and death of all the serial killers in American history. Him and Cobain have an impressive death toll. Leftists are great, eh?
I didn't know much about Mike until that rehab show. My wife watches that kind of stuff. I saw him on there and started watching with her. He seemed like a really nice guy. But drugs will make you do things that you never imagined you would do. If it wasn't for the stigma of addiction, we would still have some of the greats with us.
@@Thatguy55595 Does it have a citation too a news article? I know in the past a lot of rumors made it into laynes wiki page because anyone can edit tbose.
I got to meet his sister a few years back. Still have my Mike Star forever foundation t-shirt I got that night. It has some how become my favorite t-shirt.
I find it weird to hear how he thought he was a rockstar. .. I met Mike before a show they opened up for ozzy and he said he hated being in front of that many people. Not stagefright, but he gazed out into the crowd that was forming as if he hated it.. He spent ten min with me and never asked for drugs or anything for a backstage pass. I'm a nobody he took time to talk to. A few months later he was out of AIC.
I was a herion addict myself and Layne was asking for help for many years and nobody caught on that they won't come out and say they need help I was the same. But it was too late for the poor guy and doing Crack didn't help the situation at all . Who cares if Layne doesn't talk to you anymore just call the ambulance and try to save his life whatever was left of it. Rehab centers are the worst place to go. Get clean and go out and get away from everyone that's what I did. And it worked.
Addiction takes so much from people and leaves nothing but sadness and regret in its wake. Layne never got over Demri's overdose death and Mike never got over Layne's. Sadness and regret all around.
I remember going to the US like 10 years ago on vacation (I’m from Brazil) and I had just become an Alice in Chains fan quite recently, so I knew quite a bunch of stuff related to the band at that time. I remember one night in the hotel room before going to sleep I was going through some TV channels and I spotted Mike right away in a show that was on, and it was Celebrity Rehab (or whatever it was called). All I remember is that he didn’t look so bad and I thought “ok, this guy is gonna get over this and recover, hopefully we’ll even see him play in some band, maybe even an AIC appearance of some sort”, and I thought it was so interesting to see a huge international musician that I admired being portrayed in that situation, it felt so real, I don’t know how to explain. I couldn’t be more wrong, as we know he’d pass away shortly after that; this one hit me hard because I grew up hearing of rockstars that used to die because of drug abuse and all that stuff but I thought this was a thing of the past, probably me being a naive teenager at the time. I genuinely thought Mike was safe and would get his life back on track, and everytime I remember him I just feel kinda torn inside; AIC is easily my favorite band of all time and watching Mike die like that was a shock at the time for me.
AIC were better musicians in general. I am sure Kurt would admit to that. Dave G would. In my opinion Nirvana changed the world music scene. AIC didn't do that but they are a better band in many ways.
What is better is different for everyone. It’s like saying apple is better than banana. You’re so low IQ kid. But I prefer Alice, but everyone likes different
Mike was a great bassist. My favorite in fact . He was a sweet guy and kind soul . He comes from a good family . I love mike RIP YOU AND LAYNE ARE SO MISSED
Mike was a very nice guy, good heart. I fell out of “the scene” by the mid 90’s and had no idea he was mired down in recovery/substance abuse until I heard he had passed. In our twenties the substance intake was all about having a good time, by our 30’s and 40’s people you love start disappearing, by our 50’s “the lifestyle” has killed off a lot of people you loved. Stop now, get help, reach out, stop thinking about yourself and try to imagine what your death would do to your family and friends. I lost two close friends in a week last month. Easily half of my closest friends are gone. Take the hard road (sobriety) and be a better person. Mike Starr was a Rock Starr…….and he was THE bassist for AIC as far as I’m concerned. The original line up were the only AIC I ever knew, what came after wasn’t AIC to me.
I met Mike Starr in Portland when they were opening for Van Halen on the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album and Facelift. We were 7th row back, 16 years old, and at my first concert. Mike came into the crowd after Alice’s set. He came up to us and offered me his beer. I said nah, but shook his hand. And nothing else, too Start struck I guess. He wanted to talk and I was too stupid stumbling over my words. I just remember him as a heck of a nice guy who humored me. His death saddened me as I really wanted him to come break out of his addiction and record again.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mike in the early 90s... I can say this video is accurate. Mike from my experience with him was a pretty cool guy. He loved A.I.C. and he loved Layne.. He did create a lot of problems for himself. however he loved his friends and family with all his heart. when I heard he past away I wasn't surprised. Mike was one of those stars that burned bright and hot, and those that burn hot and bright often burn out fast... R.I.P. Mike
That's cool you met in him his happier days. It sucks but some people just aren't built to handle fame and success at a young age... what starts as a blessing becomes more of a curse as the excesses destroy their lives. Some, like Mike (or Layne for that matter) never truly recover from the mistakes they make during the rapid ascent. Very sad. RIP Mike Starr
Mike was so proud of [th-cam.com/video/MEIBILvXPa8/w-d-xo.html] after the Van Halen tour. He played the cassette for me when they were on break back home. He wrote the jam with Eddie, fulfilling his lifelong dream of that association. Didn't mention any scalping at that time. But ENTIRELY believable. His dad, John, was a pretty coked up mess. So lovable, so sad!
yeah mine too. They were definitely the darkest and heaviest of the Seattle major 4. I like Soundgarden next, quirky timings and guitars, almost as dark and heavy. I go out of town next though- STP was badass af and way better than Nirvana and PJ imo...Deleo had some killer guitar hooks and multitracks! Shame they got written off as grunge pretenders...their stuff is actually more original than some straight grunge lol 🎸🎼🤘👍
@@heroicsquirrel3195 just making sure you got my reply cause my 1st may not have been sent cause of language. No I meant AIC, I meant what I said!! Just because you think Nirvana is the best doesn't mean I have to have the same opinion as you!! It's my opinion not yours! Your comment is incredibly Arrogant, I don't have any problem with people having a different opinion than mine but I have a huge problem with people that think everyone has to agree with and have same opinion as themselves!!
Its a sad and cautionary tale what happened to members of this band. Everyone says he was such a genuine and nice guy, that's the greatest compliment to be remembered by. the music he made will be discovered by youngsters generations from now. And in that sense he's immortal
I was wondering what happened to Mike Starr after getting fired from Alice In Chains , than a old friend from school told me that he passed away from drug over dose I was completely unaware of his actions and drinking habits and drugs abuse I was really shocked he passed away, I thought Mike was a great Bassists for the band! R.I.P MIKE STARR
I had the pleasure of partying with Mike in Nawlins back in '92 in a Decatur street bar called, 'Kagan's'. He was one of the funnest people I ever partied with. He kept buying pitchers and filling everyone's cups up and I got him stoned AF on some good weed in a nearby alley. I didn't recognize him, but I kept noticing his AIC backstage pass so I assumed he was a Tech or Roadie for AIC, so after a couple of hours of partying with him I asked him what he does for AIC. He laughed and replied, "I'm the fucking Bassist, dude."
My Mike Starr story: I was/am in band called the Fuckedtones, because we are all fucked. We have stuff on YT right now but our heyday was back in 1987 to about 1993 when we made our best recordings. We all lived in Bellevue, Suburb of Seattle (Layne from there) Once we got a letter from Capitol records soliciting us, (dear fuckedtones! haha) they called us on phone too....thats another story sorry I invented a "guitar synthesizer" (called it a samplasizer) It was one of those cheap small digital sampling keyboards like a casio SK1 or SK5 really fun to play with, you could sample any sound up to about three seconds, play it backwards ,loop it or whatever, then run it through amp or mixer.. I opened one up, saw that the keyboard fed the priocessor in a "matrix" pattern...to get signal for 32 notes, it had only 12 wires, and there were clusters of 4 half steps going to 8 signal wires...so think ABCD and 12345678 combos and example 1A would be lowest note in keyboard, 8D would be highest...whatever...so I soldered copper wire to the ABCD connections, (4 "bass strings" they became) and built a cheap wood neck attached it to keyboard and put 8 pieces of copper tape on this neck like eight 1" thick frets. Touching the copper wire strings to copper tape frets would play the 32 notes. Only cost less than five bucks to convert. I made plans to do make them yourself, sold some on back of guitar player magazine in classifieds. Pretty fun didnt make much money at it but fun stuff. So getting back to Mike - I had fellow guitarist friend from high school Wade, who ran an amp repair and electronics shop in Bellevue. Really smart guy and great guitarist, his good friend since Jr high was Alice ini Chains manager, Kelly Curtis... but didnt know Alice in Chains at this time I was into the Fuckedtones and our own stupid music. Was into Frank Zappa Miles Davis Mahavishnu orchestra etc. So anyways I dropped off two "samplasizers" at Wades shop because I wanted him to check them out. I came back a week later or so to pick them up, and there were these four long haired rock fuckers in the shop, picking up their amps Wade had worked on. I had no idea who they were, they looked just like me however super long hair grungy clothes stoners too obviously just like me. So I went over to them and showed them the guitar synth thing...such as saying Fuck into it, and it played back Fuck into 32 notes....I told them I was in band called the fuckedtones, Sean told me about Fuck name of their band at a time and passing out condoms with fuck on them. I said Fuckedtones isnt meant to be a sexual thing like his Fuck on the Condoms its that we are all just really fucked. they seemed to like that haha I got Mike to sit down and play the guitar synth through an amp, he was interested (it had four strings) and I told him to try the "tuba" setting on the sound selections This gives a really tough sounding bass sound when put through an amp and Mike really liked it. I was flat broke at this time, and was itching to sell one of them to these guys. I didnt know who they were - I would ask who are you guys and no one would answer....Wade would say do you know who these guys are? finally they said Alice in Chains but I didnt recognize the name. So Mike wanted to buy both guitar synths I had there....hooray I was hoping to sell them for 200 bucks maybe for two....Mike said twenty bucks for both....I said fuck cmon they are worth way more than that, but I was literally broke and took the twenty bucks, In consolation knowing I got ripped off pretty much they said we will put this thing in our next album how about that so that was very cool.... Now I could brag I sold two guitar synthesizers I built to the bass player in Alice in Chains, and they have it recorded somewhere on one of their albums....still not sure where, but it was a sampler so could be anywhere I think its some gobblty goop sounds in an intro but not sure. Anyways, also part of the deal is Mike said he wanted me to make a full-scale bass guitar neck version of it...and he would pay me for that so all in all pretty cool stuff meeting them and selling Mike the two "samplasizers" It took me a few months to build the big one, I have a friend who knew Mike from music bank days and NAF studios in W Seattle (Fuckedtones jammed there slong with AIC, Nirvana too for awhile...hanging out at NAF REALLY FUN TIMES all night jams musicians everywhere great times we had our own concrete walled rehearsal room in first floor...the "elites" were up on 2nd floor....I Remember Mark Naffasey (the "tyrant" I called him haha) Buddha, Doc, Spider, the guys who ran the place...Doc and Spider would always come down and we would get them stoned on "Honduras rosebud" which our backwards chuck-boom drummer who could never find where one was always had in ample supply (we were fucked haha) . I never did any coke or heroin but lots of that going around....later place became a rave venue, they were making big bucks putting those on and the live band scene got squeezed out) So anyways finally I finished the full scale bass synth, got Mikes phone number from my friend who called up Buddha, and I went over to his house in W Seattle to deliver it. This was the day after they opened for Van Halen in Seattle Coliseum....I was now expecting maybe 200 bucks for it, as he is for sure a fucking rock star now, but guess what all he had was 20 bucks so I sold it to him for that and said fuck it so much for getting rich from these things.... at least I got the synth on one of their albums somewhere..... I was really pissed off that they fired Mike I think it had alot to do with Mike Inez being available...Inez super good bass player listen to his acoustic playing on MTV concert.....but couldnt belive they did that to Miike as he just as good really and original member......my friend who was recording them at NAF making pre-production tapes (Byron) said it was because he was selling backstage passes and keeping all the money for himself and he was supposed to split it up between everyone in band. I said so fucking what. Also he said he was doing heroin too, and to that I said so fucking what they are all doing that. So thats the way it goes I think Mike was crushed....I would be.... I am glad he kept his friendship with Layne until the end. True friends all the way fuck all the drug shit going on. At that time black tar heroin was the thing to do, put it in an aluminum pipe and smoke a hit no needles....super relaxing I guess (I never did it) super cheap too crush up the aluminum pipe throw it away no one gets busted for it .... Also want to ad I have Kurt Cobain stories too, jammed with him at Gnu Deli in Olympiia, he played drums...super cool jam he played the "stripper-beat" totally great more to that story but Kurt was killed by the Mexican Mafia for switching his source of black tar heroin and not paying off his supplier beforehand or getting permission that was it and nothing else! Just a law of street he violated thats all to it. Told to me by someone really in the know. Nobody wants to prosecute mexican mafia as they will kill your family so made up the suicide everyone stays safe. OK thats it thanks for reading all this if you made it through RIP MIKE and LAYNE too
The absolute saddest and most destructive part of excessive drug use is You can't feel any love from anyone! Mostly there sure is not love for yourself 😞
One of the saddest stories to such a beautiful band . RIP to both Layne and Mike. Absolute legends. They went through a lot of stuff man. Sad to have seen them go so soon . F*** Drugs man. They ruin everything that's good in this world. So many legends have passed cause of it .
I'm more apt to believe Mike Starr's account of why he was selling tickets and back stage passes. Seeing as he was the only one who seemed to stay close to Layne even at the end. Jerry Cantrell gives me the impression he's got the bigger ego of them all.
Jerry definitely had the biggest ego of the group. But without him, the band would’ve never made it. Definitely not due to lack of talent, but mainly due to lack of discipline/responsibility.
Layne had such range in his voice. And such a tortured soul. Obviously, Mike was similar. And damn they were 🔥 looking back in the day!! Then when the A.I.C. 95' CD came out, I was chilled to the bone. It was so dark & sinister. It felt like death. And then Layne passed away after that. Layne & Mike, R.I.P. 🌹
Much respect and love to Alice In Chains for not only surviving, but as the years passed to thrive and become a more evolved beast in the Rock / Metal universe ....... R.I.P To Layne and to Mike .
Drug Addiction totally sucks, consuming so many great and talented musicians. Prescription or illicit it's just two different sources for feeding the beast with the same end result.Rip Layne, Mike.
I still get pretty sad when I think of the What-ifs that might have been had Laynre and Mike been able to overcome their addictions and continued on with Chains up to this day. What would they as a band given us?......not to take away from what Chains has become since both of their deaths......just curious is all.
I feel the same about Jimi Hendrix (27) Randy Rhoads (25) Stevie Ray Vaughn (35 ) and Dime (38). 40-50 years after Jimi & RR passed and it still pisses me off! RIP Mike Starr.
I have nothing but love for Mike. God bless Mike and Melinda, and their Mom too, I am still a little mad at his Dad though because I wish his Dad protected him from substances better when he was younger. But, I don't have hate, I'm just "a little bitter"....
It used to break my heart when he was on that rehab show. He introduced himself to everyone like "hi, mike starr from Alice in chains", like he felt noone knew who he was without the name of the band....
Mike was such a wonderful, talented kind soul. He was just so stuck mentally and physically. I used to play bass an absolutely he is such a huge musical inspiration for me. I have a tattoo dedicated to him. ❤
@@GazB85 After 1st time opening 4 Ozzy w/ Motorhead, was just ok. But when saw them Lollapalooza @ night they opened w/ "Them Bones" & all the lights flashed on & off as Layne screamed "AHHH!"..."AHHH!" w/ sunglasses on, hair slicked back, n an Armani suit!!! Blew my head off! Went out next day & bought the album! "DIRT" THEEE GRUNGE GOAT!!!! Was blessed, my friend!!! ✌ ❤ 🚬
Mike was so handsome!!! AIC was supposed to play Woodstock 94 & canceled just days before the show-they are on the T-shirt & program I have; never saw them live, sadly…..LSMS RIP
I had the pleasure of meeting Mike and what I most remember is him saying to me. Quote, I'm a good person. Not just because of the band ,but because I know I am . end Quote. God bless he was a sweetheart. And a groovy rocking bass player. Rock in Power*
inez was exactly what the band needed. He was professional, creative, and friend who only wanted the best for his bandmates. Honestly Jerry and Sean have picked well with Inez and William, both guys are super respectful of what Starr and Layne contributed to the band.
@@jondubb35 no disrespect meant, but I think Mike Starr was a very creative artist. Those bass lines are very strong… He’s in his own league, tone wise, melodically, and unique. He is a big reason records he contributed on are so good… as are Mike Inez’s. Both great contributors. Inez filled the shoes well, but them shoes were pretty big.
Here's the video on Facelift th-cam.com/video/ShifZejOW_I/w-d-xo.html
Here's the video on Alice in Chains Glam Years th-cam.com/video/OiHxQuveUds/w-d-xo.html
Here's the video on Alice in Chains SAP th-cam.com/video/jWLsGm4bR9o/w-d-xo.html
Here's the video on Jar of Flies th-cam.com/video/BjU0uOP0sig/w-d-xo.html
Susan Silver snakie snake
Video was sad but tastefully done. Thank you for posting. RIP Mike and Lane
Get away from satanism these music stars are satanist FACTS .... JESUS CHRIST IS THE TRUTH WAY AN THE LIFE
@Three what do you mean by that ??
@@thetamoramay7331 lol
I was Mikes bass tech for years up till Facelift was released.... And yeah, he was a crazy great friend ! I'm glad I got out of that lifestyle. Jeff Hubbard
That's fuckin badass dude
You lived that era with the band bro 🤙🏼 awesome
Glad you're still alive! I've lost over 50 friends to addiction and suicide. It all sucks.
Probably saved your life.
Wow 😯
I met Mike at a Red Lion motel at a vending machine. He asked me if I had ever heard of Alice in chains. I said yes and he told me he was the bassist. I said you're Mike Inez? He said no Mike Starr the original bass. He had gained some weight didn't quite look the same but he came to our room and smoked a blunt with us. Told us stories and we asked him questions. We asked if he ever met Pantera. He said" I was on the god home video blraaghhh!" We were like oh shit this is Mike star we had seen that video a dozen times. Hung out with us for a couple hours then left. He died 6 month are so after that. Hearing his story from his mouth was a real privilege. He was incredibly nice to us. RIP Mike.
Wooooow! Now that is fucking bad ass!
Dude had a huge heart, with a huge hole.
You were very lucky to get some time with him.
Where is Red Lion?
How did the conversation lead to him bringing up he was in Alice in Chains?
I remember watching that rehab show when Starr poured his heart out to Layne's mom..... the guilt, the regret, the pain was so heavy. It was hard to watch, I felt so bad for him. It just showed how tortured he was from Layne's death and how it ended. He never got over it.
Hope they found that peace with our Savior. From experience, the only source that can heal and bring love, light, forgiveness and comprehension. Seeing remorse and understanding of one’s wrongs and actions that’s caused others hurt is the first step and evidence to being on the road to redemption. We’ve all fallen and some of the worst transgressors never touched substances or rather wasn’t on them nor the reason for cutting ppl down with their tongues and actions; some of the worst hypocrites of all. At least some have reasons (not excuses) while others never face their shortcomings and embarrassing Shane they’ve brought to their families and showing their arses to the world. Have an uncle like that 🤢🤮, it’s ok for him to drink and the coward he is pick on a child or woman but a person who’s legitimately sick that needs medication, “they’re pill heads.” He and his ex destroyed their son by using him as the escape goat and hurting him and neglect and was a lying thief like his older sister before age ten. Yeah but “drugs” caused all his issues. It’s sickening how ppl blame everything on drugs and take no responsibility or accountability. Yes, they’re terrible. Especially meth, etc, don’t uphold that at all. And these enablers hollering it’s a disease, well yeah the brain gets required but the majority of those ppl who do bad things on stuff, did bad things before ever touching it. Just excuses and doesn’t help anything. Some are just bad ppl, some are good ppl with dealing with issues and pain and they’re are folks that never took from anyone or did wrong to feed that dependency or addiction. It all depends upon the person,circumstances and not all fit into one basket. Definitely a difference between a junkie whose given up everything by choice and one who has a medical dependency but holding it together and fighting tooth and nail. So much stigma and polarizing of either or instead addressing the grey area and whole truth. This society has did away with wrongs, accountability, responsibility but blames everything under the sun and moon for their own poor choices and lack of self discipline and will power. On a very dangerous download spiral while evil accepts and cheerleads ppl to their graves. Hoping more ppl are waking up to the warfare we are under.
but at the same time we were watching him become part of a legend bigger than life...he was the last to see Layne. Amazing. Imagine sitting on that couch with them that day, listening to Layne talk about seeing Demri's ghost...Legendary, even mythological, stuff.
I watched that show, also... Absolutely heartwrenching... And I couldn't believe it when he died, also.
I watched that show also I remember him saying that layne was asking him don’t leave him mike was guilt ridden over that never got over it
Amen Bro...I saw the same thing!
Now every time AIC plays Nutshell live, Jerry says “this is for Layne and Mike” before starting the song
He said it was for dimebag and vinny paul too
Great song
he wouldve kept starr if he'd truly cared about him...
Why did he leave out Lassie?
@@joejones9520 Give me a break man, you weren't there and it sounds like you don't understand just how selfish and unreliable someone caught in the throes of addiction can become. At the point Starr was fired, there was no guarantee AIC was going to make it.... yes they had a few big hits but at the end of the day when someone's behavior and bad habits get in the way of the band functioning properly (recording/touring/promoting/etc. etc.) it's on the leader of the band to make things right. Layne was able to avoid getting fired only because he was indispensable to the band and its sound. Unfortunately for Mike Starr, he was expendable and the band was better off finding a reliable replacement that would commit to the band.
AIC is one of my favorite bands of all time. Their discography is impeccable. Unplugged is a hugely underrated masterpiece.
I agree about Unplugged. That DVD is on rotation in my house. I've watched it at least 100x's.
It was never AIC when Layne died. They should've changed
their band name
@@djdimapasoc7988
Completely agree.
Especially 'Nutshell'!
@@djdimapasoc7988 I HIGHLY agree!!
Watching Mike on Celebrity Rehab and how broken up he was about Layne and all the mistakes he made in his life was really difficult to watch.
Was just gonna type that until I seen you posted it.
Yeah no one ever told the boy Rock and roll is a vicious GAME .R.I.P.
Yes I remember him distinctly on Dr Drew. He broke my 💜
Very difficult... 😓
@@brookinghouseof9457 yes the old rock and roll dream live hard fast die young make a good looking corpses is and was wrong . And even those who survived battle THIER own demons .so .... conservatism def. Wrong. But.........
"My pain is self-chosen" - River of Deceit. Layne's vocals on this get me every time. RIP.
Same
Lyrical content was extremely prophetic as well. The whole album is incredible, easily in my top 5. McCready and Saunders had just cleaned up we’re hoping to rub off on Layne, but alas, it wasn’t to be
Greatest Rock n Roll album EVER made.
"Above."
Yupe. I’ve been saying this.
He was the most brutally honest lyricist of his time
The only person who should feel guilty about Layne's death is Layne. I don't mean that in a mean spirited sense, rather nobody is to blame for his choices. Even if those choices were induced and facilitated by addiction. RIP Layne and Mike.
Seeing Mike on Celebrity rehab, he seemed like a very self absorbed man. He didn't seem to understand talent is just one thing you need in music. Everything else needed,
he seemed to lack. He should have just bought a little house and lived off whatever he had. He became the rock star he always wanted. it didn't last and almost never does. RIP Mike
@@toddlavigne6441 agree 💯
Agreed, Layne was pretty open about his addiction and that it was nothing to be proud of, his lyrics are pretty straight forward on the matter as well
Yea I agree. People need to also realize the pain and anguish these artists have caused their loved ones. It’s sad and very disappointing all around.
Whats crazy nobody ever talks about Mike.. He was a legendary bass player. He had that funky bass like cliff and that technical playing like most only dream of. Definitely deserves way more respect. Top 10..maybe top 5 of all time. RESPECT💯🎶🎸
Yeah man he was REALLY good without being a try-hard.
Amen
No doubt.......I mean Inez is very very good, but Starr was freaking great, the bass lines on the Facelift album were just over the top good.
That's just how it is man. A lot of times if you ain't the front man, you ain't Frontline news. It's sad, but it's just a fact of the life.
It's sad that he's so overshadowed by Layne's death. He was just as important to their sound
Theres a Nardwar video with Nirvana where he asks Kurt about the Hollywood Rock Festival show to which Kurt replied "I dont remember any of that show. I was up all night shooting coke with the guys from Alice in Chains." It was a very memorable Nirvana performance an by fsr considered their worst by critics. They hadnt been in the same state in 6 months and hadnt played together in 9. Kurt was in pajamas and out of rhythym the whole set. Forgetting words...not sure if same night or just same tour but Flea played the trumpet on Smells Like Teen Spirit, they all switched instruments while kurt sang and drummed Terry Jack's Seasons in the Sun and then they did an encore in dresses. Kurt was in a blackout for the majority from the xanax they sell over the counter in S America he took to come down from the coke binge and he could barely play. This was the last time they ever appeared as a 3 piece. Pat Smear eould join the band before they toured for in utero and after recording it which they had begun to do on this tour. Those recordings make up much of the boxset from 04.
On an episode of Sobdr House or Celeb Rehab, Star says that night was the first time he shot up and that kurt did it for him. Lemmy from Motorheads wife said that Kurt called their house that night asking Lemmy, then sober, if he knew where they could score dope in Brazil. He said "no" and hung up. That was the first and last time kurt ever called him. They also talked about Lemmys wedding.
Mike Star was on Methadone. Be and his father went to a clinic everyday where theyd buy xanax and coke to shoot all day before going on celebrity rehab. He ultimately got off methadone but died from an alcohol and xanax combination overdose after months of abstinence. Drugs really suck. Celebrity rehab did exlote peoplr but it also took alot of the romance out of drug addiction. Its one thing to "burn out" like Kurt but to "fade away" as Mike Star did os not nearly as glamorous... like shooting coke all night in Brazil sounds fun and is glamorous...sitting in a broken down minivan on your front lawn and shooting a tiny bag of coke and then also splitting a xanax bar with your dad is not so glamorous and only sounds fun if youre an addict... 60 lbs heavier 20 years older 1 million dollars poorer w/ nothing to show but track marks and stories from when before the band kicked you out...and thatx a happy ending for a drug addict. Dudes dead. Theres no coming back from that. Just cuz it didnt kill you yesterday doesnt mean youre promised tomorrow. Dude toured the world shooting drugs and in the end a rx xanax and a rum and coke killed him. Sux.
I went to Jr High and High School with Mike Starr. He was always a really nice guy and close to his Sister who is also a beautiful human being. A life that ended way too soon.
Highline? My daughter went to Highline. Amanda Miller.
Mike & his Dad John lived across the street from us & we became friends. Really nice guy.
Ever see him in the cafeteria?
My daughters went to Highline H. S. too. Mike lived across the street from my Mom. He was a really great friend. It makes me so very sad.
Yes, he went to Puget Sound Junior High and then Highline High School with us. ❤loved him. Loved his soul.
When layne says “not like this” that broke me. It’s not Mike’s fault either he got pushed away and it’s just very unfortunate
dont worry, theydve pushed Layne away too if they couldve but they knew, Susan Silver even said, that he WAS AIC...
He was on benzos at the time. He never forgave himself.
@@joejones9520 they did push him away.
@@spookshow6999 how? Layne was recording and making music with other people which Cantrell even said made him kind of jealous, like Layne was cheating on him. That doesnt sound like him pushing Layne away; sounds like he knew Layne was invaluable to the band. Then even when Layne was a recluse they begged and enticed him to come and record some songs Jerry wrote. Layne added lyrics and did his trademark layered vocal tracks, then disappeared back into his condo until he finally died..he himself chose to ignore the band and rest of the world.
Pretty much. Layne calling the crow a raven by bitching to Mike about Mike taking benzos and how he needed to get off of them?! If I were Mike I would’ve gotten super fuckin pissed, too!
That band manged to become so epic and mind blowing even though having one of the craziest, disrupted paths in the industry.. legends
and in all interviews the whole band is just like a bunch of spicolli's but then they start playing and goddam, they crossed into an ethereal region of extremely complex music and virtuoso singing, playing and songwriting that I never get used to...
One of the craziest, disrupted paths? For Seattle bands, Mother Love Bone, what we now know as Pearl Jam, had disruption. Fate is real. So many musicians deal with this crap. It's unfortunate.
Epic grunge legends!!! 💜💜
@@joejones9520 wtf is a spicolli?? 🤣😛
So you never heard of lynyrd skynyrd?
Facelift was such a huge inspiration when it came out in '91! As a bassist I really studied Starr's groove with the drums. RIP Layne & Mike.
Summer of 1990.
Ministerordarkness i did the same
@@jacktorrance2633 nobody had even heard of them till Man In The Box blew up in’91. Here’s Johnny!!!🪓
@@ministerofdarkness You're correct, it took a while to get the record noticed. Doesn't change the fact it came out close to an entire year before the song and album became popular.
Damn right was my 10th grade year and it started out with facelift 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
When I saw AIC a couple years back during the end part of Nutshell Will and Mike Inez stepped back from where they were standing and all the lights went off but two spotlights were shined on the empty spaces at the mic, and where Mike was standing to honor Layne and Mike Starr. It brought tears to my eyes.
That’s one of my favorite songs very very moving..
Maaaaan. I definitely remember all of that. Alice In Chains remains one of the saddest stories in Rock history.
@Christopher Bingham Great points. I definitely agree. I wasn’t comparing it to anyone or band. Just saying it’s still pretty darn sad.
@Christopher Bingham I've never heard of the Lost Prophets. What crimes did the singer commit?
@@mariolopez3728 grape
@@mariolopez3728too much to discuss on TH-cam comments. pedophelia, violating babies, rape, etc
It’s amazing how Layne never got in trouble with the law and avoided having a pic taken of him for the last 6 years of his life.
It’s really sad if u think about it.
I vaguely remember people digging up a police report of Layne being pulled over sometime during the last 6 years of his life when he was a recluse. I think he had to appear in court over something trivial - not that it matters, but it's a small glimpse into what he mightve been up to around that time
He was a recluse. He stayed in doors and got high all day everyday… i mean for the most part. Easy to avoid problems with the law when you have dealers drop off your shit and you just sit around ur house f’ed up all day and all night.
@@inutero10 that's what happened.
It was a pic of him, at a record studio, in that lapse of time, I think🤔
One of my ex-employees was Mike's best friend. He gave me an early demo on CD that Mike gave him. It's pretty amazing hearing some of their hits in early form and a little punk influence. My employee had an addiction as well and couldn't quit even after Mike's death. Mike's dad was a big influence on the drug use. I'd hear stories about the binges they all would go on as if it was glamorous. My employees story ended much like Mike's. He knew better but just couldn't stop. RIP
So sad 😞
What's up with parents getting high with their kids? I've heard it a lot lately. My parents were too much into God to do drugs with us!🤣
@@marycallozzo463 i know, its beyond gross
Mikes father also said that Demri introduced Layne to heroin. Which I believe.
Unless you’ve gone through opiod withdrawal, you have no idea how truly impossible it feels. Once you move from tabs\percs to oxys, it feels impossible. Once you move from oxys to smoking heroine, it feels more impossible. Once you move from smoking it, to shooting it, it’s game over! Don’t ever touch opioids if you want a happy life, even if your doctor prescribes them, don’t f***ing touch them! ANY pain is more bearable than the pain these drugs will cause you and the ones you love
"I was so high I couldn't get dressed.... So drove my motorcycle to the beach in my bathrobe and undies.."
Amazing Mike lasted as long as he did.
Only in AIC would anyone get away with that haha
He was too high to dress himself, but was perfectly capable of driving a motorcycle. Wow!
I read an article in a major rock magazine after the fact that featured Alice In Chains around the time of the release of "Dirt". It seemed to revel in their use of alcohol and marijuana, but hinted at the band members used harder substances. I remember it turning me off, even as a teenager. I just thought of all the young people that might go down the wrong road because they thought it was cool.
@@whoami7721 Apparently some brewery now uses Layne's artwork for Mad Season to sell beer. Nothing tragic about that. The responses I get for pointing out the hipocracy of using any dead drug addict's work to sell more drugs is usually, "come on man. It's just beer!"
Because just beer hasn't killed thousands..
@@WarlikePeace Great point,alcohol has killed a lot of people.
Mike was my cell mate in 2007 and looked me in the eye and said " I wish I had never tried Heroin even once because it's the most wonderful feeling that you could imagine... but addictive ".
I never touched that sht precisely for that reason. Seen a ton of raw AF documentaries and it's always the same result. Greatest feeling on earth,burn all your bridges fk'ng those closest to you over,lose everything,end up destroyed or dead. Some pull through,sadly Mike isn't among the one's who have. Seemed like a really genuine guy with a big heart and a heavy addiction. RIP.
Crazy bro! I did time with him at RJC in Kent back in 2003, I was the intake trustee and he came in and was going through withdrawals. The officer staff kept ignoring his requests for methodone. He was on second balcony and when his cell mate had a visit the door opened and he jumped off top tier. Busted his head and was taken to hospital, I’ll never forget it
I’m in recovery, and he wasn’t lying.
@@tap22 same here RJC hooked Mike on methadone there.
I've heard that exact same thing from more than one person . I've known two long time addicts, one 7 yrs the other 12 yrs, both successfully stopped, but both said, if they didn't have to stop, they wouldn't have...that's unsettling...
I get so sad thinking about Mike and Layne, mainly Layne, he locked himself in his apartment and got high for 6 years until it killed him.
Relegalise, regulate, tax and educate.
It will help remove the stigma so people get help quicker.
@@GazB85 Legalizing drugs helps no one and it doesn't remove any stigma. People are judgmental a-holes regardless of laws.
He wasn't burning the candle at both ends. He threw it in the fire.
@@GazB85 there’s certain drugs that would be ok under regulation. Heroin isn’t one of them. That shit destroys yourself and everyone around you.
@@harrycollins3248 Ending the War on (Some) Drugs helps no one?
You can kiss some of your liberties good bye because of that BS 'war'.
Keeping them illegal just leads to more violence and corruption. American's and a few other nations (Soviet Union, Finland, parts of Canada etc) tried alcohol prohibition and it failed, badly!
How modern day idiots don't see the comparison and blatant hypocrisy I do not know.
Harm reduction has proven time and time again to be the better option for the health of society and individuals.
Regulated markets doesn't mean you let people buy whatever they want and as much as they want.
You don't need to fear relegalisation.
Opium, morphine and Heroin were state regulated and users/addicts were licensed in French Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.) and the Dutch West Indies (Indonesia).
Opioid users were on average 45 year old women and were actually dying from old age, not overdoses and new user's were not replace them enough, because it was illegal for the licensed user's to buy a lot (Worries about smuggling.) and also supplying non-user's, potentially facing fines and imprisonment.
Taxes from them could pay for rehab and anti-addiction programmes.
Less people would overdose as they'd be able to purchase their drug of choice in pharmaceutical grade and know their dosage and tolerance.
Governments wouldn't waste as much money on policing, prisons and the military.
Repub's say they want smaller government and individual's to take responsibility for their destiny.
That album DIRT will always be one of the greatest albums ever just awesome!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I actually like Facelift better but they are both great.
I actually like the three legged dog most, it’s all just taste
Mike used to hang with my buddy Clint Settles in LA right before he passed away. They used to party like mad with other friends from NA meetings. Clint also passed away in 2018 of an H overdose. Rip.
I watched him on Sober House and it was tough to watch him try to make it day to day.
“I know Heidi Fleiss. I know Heidi Fleiss, Tom.”
@@LampwicksCigar omg the way that infuriated Tom! And Mike just kept repeating it calmly.
Man, Jar of Flies was my favorite CD in my early high school days. I loved AIC. When Unplugged came out, I was actually shocked they were still a band. Such a sad story. Layne Staley was the greatest vocalist of the 90’s rock scene
still put on JoF every Fall, when the weather starts getting chilly, days get shorter and the leaves are turning. I gotta be careful though about depression- I used to be getting ready for the winter snowboarding season here in the Pac NW, now...I'm old and not doing that anymore. It's very depressing. I miss the 90's. Amazing I'm still alive... 😞
The 4 track album Sap is great too. Aic is the real creators of grunge
Jar of Flies is just the best. In 2011 when I got my car it had a cassette player and I would go to goodwill and get tapes of bands I had always wanted to get into. I must have listened to my Jar of Flies cassette at least a hundred times. Best EP of all time.
Thanks for doing a video on Mike. Too many people think that Mike Inez has always been there. Curly haired guys named Mike so they get confused. Mike Starr was obviously a troubled guy but an incredible talent that deserves far more credit.
Yeah! Many bands replace a member with a clone. "Found one named Mike!"
Like Opeth's thing for Martin. Last I checked they'd had 3 guys named Martin (Mendez, on bass, and Lopez and Axenrot on drums.)
Same here! A great musician taken way 2 soon 4 the wrong way! Rip
I adore Alice in Chains and always will. Their music lives on🖤
I always love hearing more about AiC.
there's a badass vid of starr in the 2000's being begged to get on stage with a band at a club and play bass on man in the box, he spur of the moment totally nailed it. AIC broke the magic when they fired Starr...never ever fire a founding member.
Steel Panther
The Stones didn't do too bad after firing Brian.
Try telling that to Black Flag or Napalm Death.
Yeah, Jar of Flies definitely lacked "magic"... what a flop!
@@AndE667 i hope that's sarcasm
I had the opportunity to share a holding cell at the King county jail in Seattle with Mike Star. It was pretty cool, just him and I, he was getting booked for probation violations for dirty UA , I was booked for Driving with suspended license. We choped it up for about 15 minutes then they moved one of us. Best holding cell story out of my many trips to jail before I cleaned my act up....
When i hear King County, i think Bob Koepell and Ted Bundy! lol! Must be an east coast thing.
😲 🙀 wowwwww
I kinda knew him in hs. he was funny and outgoing and looked strong and healthy. him and his dad came in the dealership I worked at in about 92 or 93 in n sea. he was a wreck. we talked a bit about people from school and such. the poor guy was cooked. they bought a $30,000 car from us though. claimed Mike was getting paid by Sony to test audio equipment. I wouldn't let him drive it and it was clear to me it was for dad. it was sad, I really liked aic and to see a young guy so burnt up like that.
Yess
Both them boys so sad man the rockers back in the day only went balls to the wall
I got Mike Starr's Ampeg SVT II from the Facelift, and Dirt sessions. He is the reason I picked up bass as a kid.
WOW HOW MUCH DID THAT RUN YOU?
@@chrisluehr3256 Could have bought a used car at the time. Lol
@@jbass7024 WOW THATS SO COOL MAN
@@chrisluehr3256 Yeah it is!
So cool! Was it one of the heads that were sold through BassNorthwest?
I knew Mike. he was such a friendly and sweet guy to meet and hang with, always very cool with people and fans. my former band opened up for AIC in 1990, I remember asking him in 1990 how
AIC came up with that sound they had, he told me about the Drop D tunings that Jerry experimented with and that Soundgarden was a big influence. I also hung out with Mike in San Antonio backstage during the day in San Antonio on the Clash of the Titans tour, Mike was the only guy in AIC hanging out during the day, he told me they were all sleeping at the Hotel still. But Mike was out there talking with folks and just enjoying the tour it seemed. I was in the Air Force at the time and had 2 other AF Cadets with me in San Antonio, all of us in full dress uniform and Mike remembered me from the NY shows my band had played with him and AIC, he brought us all on the bus in our uniforms, it must have looked pretty interesting to on lookers. Mike was excited to show me his new bass, I think it was a Spectre bass, he was so enthusiastic about it and we both took turns playing it. He has busy style of playing I noticed back then. He told me his Uncle or Cousin was in the Army and he respected Military guys a lot and it made me feel good since I was still in boot camp in San Antonio and just on a day pass. I did get back into the music scene in Los Angeles years later and met up wtih Mike at the Rainbow bar with my friend Nigel Mogg from the Quireboys, we all hung out for awhile and he took off in his little convertable car that the re-hab show had gotten him. We joked with thim that is was a chicks car, he laughed and said it was a gift from the show, I got his cell number that night, still in my phone, he was going to come by my recording studio I had at the time in LA and track some bass, but 2 weeks later I heard the news of his death. Very sad, I always had a good feeling about Mike Starr, he always stood out in my mind and still does. God bless you Mike, I hope and pray you are with the Lord and have found the love you always seeked to find. Mike had a sweet soul, a very genuine and giving nature. God bless.
Awwww wow, that is amazing. You're really lucky.
He's peaceful now and the void he could never fill is filled ☁️ ✝️
A day pass while in Basic? What!?!
Such a sweet story
I am LE where Mike use to live. I had many contacts with him and we would always talk AiC if he was in trouble or not. I remember him driving around a beat up of Mazda RX-7 with his Gold Records stuffed in the back. We always got along, he always harbored guilt about Layne's death being the last person to see him alive. I was honored to be asked to provide security to AiC during his funeral.
Geeeezzz, smh bittersweet I'm sure but you're lucky you met him
If anyone was born with a rockstar look, it was Mike Starr... he def had the look.
Glad you made a vid on Mike, he’s in my top 3 bass players and theirs definitely not enough information out there on him because he is stupidly overlooked. Keep up the good work
Mike Starr had legendary bass riffs, he was my favorite bass player.The Dirt lp is Metal perfection.
The opening bass riff on Rain When I Die. Dude.
@@rawheadrex1972 Hell yeah!
I think mike got kicked out because him and Layne were really close and both hooked. You can’t kick Layne out and if they didn’t do something there was a very good chance those two keeping on that path might have meant the end of band a lot sooner. Just an opinion, could totally be wrong.
Actually you could be right. I thought about this theory too.
@@media696 I didn’t know any of them personally so I’m a little reluctant to chime in but, I had heard the under age girls thing as well and that that was a major concern.
Your theory makes sense. It’s also my theory, the only difference being that it wasn’t just about protecting the band’s and Layne’s interests, it was also about protecting Mike’s interests. They had to be separated, for everybody’s good. They were really removing his opportunity to get high by the same token.
It would have been more honest though to kick them both out, but of course that would have been the end of AIC. So maybe the guilt Jerry hints at in his music has something to do with that.
@@Gomba13 yeah that’s fair.
It’s totally wrong. Mike was too much trouble , it was a combination of things, like sleeping with underage girls. The entire band was on hard drugs.
I met him just a couple of days before he died. He did w guest spot for man in the box at a steel panther show. The guy was really nice. Sad story man.
Michael Starr onstage with another Michael Starr... how cool is that?
Laynes most impressive feat was the fact that he managed to use more drugs than anybody but never got caught using or buying.
Totally different time period. Today he absolutely would have
Well, give him credit for causing 1000 times the suffering and death of all the serial killers in American history. Him and Cobain have an impressive death toll. Leftists are great, eh?
Cuz mike was buying all his shit. 🤣
@@Wargasm644 exactly lmao
@@baneverything5580 what you saying. They are responsible for thousands of kids taking drugs. I don't get what you mean
They all got their drugs one way or another. Unfair to make Mike the scapegoat.
I didn't know much about Mike until that rehab show. My wife watches that kind of stuff. I saw him on there and started watching with her. He seemed like a really nice guy. But drugs will make you do things that you never imagined you would do. If it wasn't for the stigma of addiction, we would still have some of the greats with us.
His pops was a real great influence on Moke seeing how they got arrested after getting off a plane when other passengers seen his dad shooting him up.
Passenger's saw his dad injecting himself or saw him injecting his son?
Where’d you read that?
@@Thatguy55595 he didn't.
@@mattyb567567 it’s on his Wikipedia actually I should’ve known lol
@@Thatguy55595 Does it have a citation too a news article? I know in the past a lot of rumors made it into laynes wiki page because anyone can edit tbose.
I got to meet his sister a few years back. Still have my Mike Star forever foundation t-shirt I got that night. It has some how become my favorite t-shirt.
I find it weird to hear how he thought he was a rockstar. .. I met Mike before a show they opened up for ozzy and he said he hated being in front of that many people. Not stagefright, but he gazed out into the crowd that was forming as if he hated it.. He spent ten min with me and never asked for drugs or anything for a backstage pass. I'm a nobody he took time to talk to. A few months later he was out of AIC.
Jerry was jealous of him that's why.
I was a herion addict myself and Layne was asking for help for many years and nobody caught on that they won't come out and say they need help I was the same. But it was too late for the poor guy and doing Crack didn't help the situation at all . Who cares if Layne doesn't talk to you anymore just call the ambulance and try to save his life whatever was left of it. Rehab centers are the worst place to go. Get clean and go out and get away from everyone that's what I did. And it worked.
I met a guy that went to High School with Mike. Said he was super cool & fun to party with. RIP
I went to Jr. high with Mike and used to hang with him, 1986 & 87. He was sweet🙏♥️
Addiction takes so much from people and leaves nothing but sadness and regret in its wake. Layne never got over Demri's overdose death and Mike never got over Layne's. Sadness and regret all around.
I remember going to the US like 10 years ago on vacation (I’m from Brazil) and I had just become an Alice in Chains fan quite recently, so I knew quite a bunch of stuff related to the band at that time.
I remember one night in the hotel room before going to sleep I was going through some TV channels and I spotted Mike right away in a show that was on, and it was Celebrity Rehab (or whatever it was called). All I remember is that he didn’t look so bad and I thought “ok, this guy is gonna get over this and recover, hopefully we’ll even see him play in some band, maybe even an AIC appearance of some sort”, and I thought it was so interesting to see a huge international musician that I admired being portrayed in that situation, it felt so real, I don’t know how to explain.
I couldn’t be more wrong, as we know he’d pass away shortly after that; this one hit me hard because I grew up hearing of rockstars that used to die because of drug abuse and all that stuff but I thought this was a thing of the past, probably me being a naive teenager at the time. I genuinely thought Mike was safe and would get his life back on track, and everytime I remember him I just feel kinda torn inside; AIC is easily my favorite band of all time and watching Mike die like that was a shock at the time for me.
Alice in chains was way better than Nirvana any day
AIC were better musicians in general. I am sure Kurt would admit to that. Dave G would. In my opinion Nirvana changed the world music scene. AIC didn't do that but they are a better band in many ways.
What is better is different for everyone. It’s like saying apple is better than banana. You’re so low IQ kid. But I prefer Alice, but everyone likes different
Mike was a great bassist. My favorite in fact . He was a sweet guy and kind soul . He comes from a good family . I love mike RIP YOU AND LAYNE ARE SO MISSED
Mike was a very nice guy, good heart. I fell out of “the scene” by the mid 90’s and had no idea he was mired down in recovery/substance abuse until I heard he had passed. In our twenties the substance intake was all about having a good time, by our 30’s and 40’s people you love start disappearing, by our 50’s “the lifestyle” has killed off a lot of people you loved. Stop now, get help, reach out, stop thinking about yourself and try to imagine what your death would do to your family and friends. I lost two close friends in a week last month. Easily half of my closest friends are gone. Take the hard road (sobriety) and be a better person. Mike Starr was a Rock Starr…….and he was THE bassist for AIC as far as I’m concerned. The original line up were the only AIC I ever knew, what came after wasn’t AIC to me.
I met Mike Starr in Portland when they were opening for Van Halen on the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album and Facelift. We were 7th row back, 16 years old, and at my first concert. Mike came into the crowd after Alice’s set. He came up to us and offered me his beer. I said nah, but shook his hand. And nothing else, too Start struck I guess. He wanted to talk and I was too stupid stumbling over my words. I just remember him as a heck of a nice guy who humored me. His death saddened me as I really wanted him to come break out of his addiction and record again.
Was in treatment in LA with this dude for 3 weeks. Thought he was a sincere person.
The end of their bromance is the most heartbreaking breakup ever.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mike in the early 90s... I can say this video is accurate. Mike from my experience with him was a pretty cool guy. He loved A.I.C. and he loved Layne.. He did create a lot of problems for himself. however he loved his friends and family with all his heart. when I heard he past away I wasn't surprised. Mike was one of those stars that burned bright and hot, and those that burn hot and bright often burn out fast... R.I.P. Mike
That's cool you met in him his happier days. It sucks but some people just aren't built to handle fame and success at a young age... what starts as a blessing becomes more of a curse as the excesses destroy their lives. Some, like Mike (or Layne for that matter) never truly recover from the mistakes they make during the rapid ascent. Very sad. RIP Mike Starr
Fear The Voices is a jam and a half.
Rest easy Layne and Mike..
So many gone and many more to come.
Mike was so proud of [th-cam.com/video/MEIBILvXPa8/w-d-xo.html] after the Van Halen tour. He played the cassette for me when they were on break back home. He wrote the jam with Eddie, fulfilling his lifelong dream of that association. Didn't mention any scalping at that time. But ENTIRELY believable. His dad, John, was a pretty coked up mess. So lovable, so sad!
Alice In Chains is my favorite out of the so called "Big Four" (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains) Seattle bands.
What was I doing before I knew this
@@MrBones-lw2bf Knew what? I don't get it.
@@smokedawg1 that Alice In Chains was your favorite out of 4 individual bands
@@smokedawg1 Mr. Jones was just being a sarcastic jerk. My favourite out of *the Big Four* too !
yeah mine too. They were definitely the darkest and heaviest of the Seattle major 4. I like Soundgarden next, quirky timings and guitars, almost as dark and heavy. I go out of town next though- STP was badass af and way better than Nirvana and PJ imo...Deleo had some killer guitar hooks and multitracks! Shame they got written off as grunge pretenders...their stuff is actually more original than some straight grunge lol 🎸🎼🤘👍
By far the best band out of Seattle, by far!!
Your opinion mate no far about it!!
@@injailoutsoon1998 My opinions on anything are by far are always right, by far!!
I think you meant nirvania, they’re farly the bestest
@@heroicsquirrel3195 just making sure you got my reply cause my 1st may not have been sent cause of language. No I meant AIC, I meant what I said!! Just because you think Nirvana is the best doesn't mean I have to have the same opinion as you!! It's my opinion not yours! Your comment is incredibly Arrogant, I don't have any problem with people having a different opinion than mine but I have a huge problem with people that think everyone has to agree with and have same opinion as themselves!!
@@heroicsquirrel3195 Nirvana Sucks 🤣
Its a sad and cautionary tale what happened to members of this band. Everyone says he was such a genuine and nice guy, that's the greatest compliment to be remembered by. the music he made will be discovered by youngsters generations from now. And in that sense he's immortal
I was wondering what happened to Mike Starr after getting fired from Alice In Chains , than a old friend from school told me that he passed away from drug over dose I was completely unaware of his actions and drinking habits and drugs abuse I was really shocked he passed away, I thought Mike was a great Bassists for the band! R.I.P MIKE STARR
I had the pleasure of partying with Mike in Nawlins back in '92 in a Decatur street bar called, 'Kagan's'. He was one of the funnest people I ever partied with.
He kept buying pitchers and filling everyone's cups up and I got him stoned AF on some good weed in a nearby alley.
I didn't recognize him, but I kept noticing his AIC backstage pass so I assumed he was a Tech or Roadie for AIC, so after a couple of hours of partying with him I asked him what he does for AIC. He laughed and replied, "I'm the fucking Bassist, dude."
Smh
Dang that's an amazing story 💙 🖤
good weed in nawlins...in 92 ? ...ya right...u couldnt find good weed in the whole-State bk then /lol
@@chriswoods662 your connects sucked.
@@chriswoods662that’s not true. I live in New Orleans & our weed back then was 🔥
My Mike Starr story: I was/am in band called the Fuckedtones, because we are all fucked. We have stuff on YT right now but our heyday was back in 1987 to about 1993 when we made our best recordings. We all lived in Bellevue, Suburb of Seattle (Layne from there)
Once we got a letter from Capitol records soliciting us, (dear fuckedtones! haha) they called us on phone too....thats another story sorry
I invented a "guitar synthesizer" (called it a samplasizer) It was one of those cheap small digital sampling keyboards like a casio SK1 or SK5 really fun to play with, you could sample any sound up to about three seconds, play it backwards ,loop it or whatever, then run it through amp or mixer..
I opened one up, saw that the keyboard fed the priocessor in a "matrix" pattern...to get signal for 32 notes, it had only 12 wires, and there were clusters of 4 half steps going to 8 signal wires...so think ABCD and 12345678 combos and example 1A would be lowest note in keyboard, 8D would be highest...whatever...so I soldered copper wire to the ABCD connections, (4 "bass strings" they became) and built a cheap wood neck attached it to keyboard and put 8 pieces of copper tape on this neck like eight 1" thick frets. Touching the copper wire strings to copper tape frets would play the 32 notes. Only cost less than five bucks to convert. I made plans to do make them yourself, sold some on back of guitar player magazine in classifieds. Pretty fun didnt make much money at it but fun stuff.
So getting back to Mike - I had fellow guitarist friend from high school Wade, who ran an amp repair and electronics shop in Bellevue. Really smart guy and great guitarist, his good friend since Jr high was Alice ini Chains manager, Kelly Curtis... but didnt know Alice in Chains at this time I was into the Fuckedtones and our own stupid music. Was into Frank Zappa Miles Davis Mahavishnu orchestra etc. So anyways I dropped off two "samplasizers" at Wades shop because I wanted him to check them out. I came back a week later or so to pick them up, and there were these four long haired rock fuckers in the shop, picking up their amps Wade had worked on. I had no idea who they were, they looked just like me however super long hair grungy clothes stoners too obviously just like me. So I went over to them and showed them the guitar synth thing...such as saying Fuck into it, and it played back Fuck into 32 notes....I told them I was in band called the fuckedtones, Sean told me about Fuck name of their band at a time and passing out condoms with fuck on them. I said Fuckedtones isnt meant to be a sexual thing like his Fuck on the Condoms its that we are all just really fucked. they seemed to like that haha
I got Mike to sit down and play the guitar synth through an amp, he was interested (it had four strings) and I told him to try the "tuba" setting on the sound selections
This gives a really tough sounding bass sound when put through an amp and Mike really liked it. I was flat broke at this time, and was itching to sell one of them to these guys. I didnt know who they were - I would ask who are you guys and no one would answer....Wade would say do you know who these guys are? finally they said Alice in Chains but I didnt recognize the name. So Mike wanted to buy both guitar synths I had there....hooray I was hoping to sell them for 200 bucks maybe for two....Mike said twenty bucks for both....I said fuck cmon they are worth way more than that, but I was literally broke and took the twenty bucks,
In consolation knowing I got ripped off pretty much they said we will put this thing in our next album how about that so that was very cool.... Now I could brag I sold two guitar synthesizers I built to the bass player in Alice in Chains, and they have it recorded somewhere on one of their albums....still not sure where, but it was a sampler so could be anywhere I think its some gobblty goop sounds in an intro but not sure.
Anyways, also part of the deal is Mike said he wanted me to make a full-scale bass guitar neck version of it...and he would pay me for that so all in all pretty cool stuff meeting them and selling Mike the two "samplasizers"
It took me a few months to build the big one, I have a friend who knew Mike from music bank days and NAF studios in W Seattle
(Fuckedtones jammed there slong with AIC, Nirvana too for awhile...hanging out at NAF REALLY FUN TIMES all night jams musicians everywhere great times we had our own concrete walled rehearsal room in first floor...the "elites" were up on 2nd floor....I Remember Mark Naffasey (the "tyrant" I called him haha) Buddha, Doc, Spider, the guys who ran the place...Doc and Spider would always come down and we would get them stoned on "Honduras rosebud" which our backwards chuck-boom drummer who could never find where one was always had in ample supply (we were fucked haha) . I never did any coke or heroin but lots of that going around....later place became a rave venue, they were making big bucks putting those on and the live band scene got squeezed out)
So anyways finally I finished the full scale bass synth, got Mikes phone number from my friend who called up Buddha, and I went over to his house in W Seattle to deliver it.
This was the day after they opened for Van Halen in Seattle Coliseum....I was now expecting maybe 200 bucks for it, as he is for sure a fucking rock star now, but guess what all he had was 20 bucks so I sold it to him for that and said fuck it so much for getting rich from these things.... at least I got the synth on one of their albums somewhere.....
I was really pissed off that they fired Mike I think it had alot to do with Mike Inez being available...Inez super good bass player listen to his acoustic playing on MTV concert.....but couldnt belive they did that to Miike as he just as good really and original member......my friend who was recording them at NAF making pre-production tapes (Byron) said it was because he was selling backstage passes and keeping all the money for himself and he was supposed to split it up between everyone in band. I said so fucking what.
Also he said he was doing heroin too, and to that I said so fucking what they are all doing that. So thats the way it goes I think Mike was crushed....I would be.... I am glad he kept his friendship with Layne until the end. True friends all the way fuck all the drug shit going on.
At that time black tar heroin was the thing to do, put it in an aluminum pipe and smoke a hit no needles....super relaxing I guess (I never did it) super cheap too crush up the aluminum pipe throw it away no one gets busted for it ....
Also want to ad I have Kurt Cobain stories too, jammed with him at Gnu Deli in Olympiia, he played drums...super cool jam he played the "stripper-beat" totally great more to that story but Kurt was killed by the Mexican Mafia for switching his source of black tar heroin and not paying off his supplier beforehand or getting permission that was it and nothing else! Just a law of street he violated thats all to it. Told to me by someone really in the know. Nobody wants to prosecute mexican mafia as they will kill your family so made up the suicide everyone stays safe.
OK thats it thanks for reading all this if you made it through
RIP MIKE and LAYNE too
The absolute saddest and most destructive part of excessive drug use is You can't feel any love from anyone! Mostly there sure is not love for yourself 😞
One of the saddest stories to such a beautiful band . RIP to both Layne and Mike. Absolute legends. They went through a lot of stuff man. Sad to have seen them go so soon . F*** Drugs man. They ruin everything that's good in this world. So many legends have passed cause of it .
I'm more apt to believe Mike Starr's account of why he was selling tickets and back stage passes. Seeing as he was the only one who seemed to stay close to Layne even at the end. Jerry Cantrell gives me the impression he's got the bigger ego of them all.
yes but without Cantrell theydve gotten nowhere, he's like the working man of the band. But he wrote some UTTERLY INSANE guitar stuff, mindblowing.
@@joejones9520 Indeed, Jerry's role in AIC cannot be overstated... at least 50% of the band by himself.
Jerry's voice is almost as great as Laynes was
Jerry definitely had the biggest ego of the group. But without him, the band would’ve never made it. Definitely not due to lack of talent, but mainly due to lack of discipline/responsibility.
@@jessicap9832 Jerry wasn't just the driving force and the leader, he wrote the lion's share of AIC songs.
Layne had such range in his voice. And such a tortured soul. Obviously, Mike was similar. And damn they were 🔥 looking back in the day!! Then when the A.I.C. 95' CD came out, I was chilled to the bone. It was so dark & sinister. It felt like death. And then Layne passed away after that. Layne & Mike, R.I.P. 🌹
Yeah, 7 years after that
Mike Star was an absolutely beautiful man!
Would? is one of my favourite songs of all time and I don't think it would be half as good as it is without Mike Bass playing. RIP
They we’re both beautiful. Man it’s so sad.
Much respect and love to Alice In Chains for not only surviving, but as the years passed to thrive and become a more evolved beast in the Rock / Metal universe ....... R.I.P To Layne and to Mike .
I grew up one block over from Mike in ..burien Washington..my best friends brother paul.was Mike's best friend..RIP
Layne saying to mike “not like this, don’t leave like this” is the saddest shit I’ve heard. Damn man RIP Layne, and Mike
Drug Addiction totally sucks, consuming so many great and talented musicians. Prescription or illicit it's just two different sources for feeding the beast with the same end result.Rip Layne, Mike.
I still get pretty sad when I think of the What-ifs that might have been had Laynre and Mike been able to overcome their addictions and continued on with Chains up to this day. What would they as a band given us?......not to take away from what Chains has become since both of their deaths......just curious is all.
I feel the same about Jimi Hendrix (27) Randy Rhoads (25) Stevie Ray Vaughn (35 ) and Dime (38). 40-50 years after Jimi & RR passed and it still pisses me off! RIP Mike Starr.
This was a sad story this band lost 2 greats, Rest in Peace Mike and Layne!!⚘
I had such a crush on him. I literally broke a VHS tape rewinding Would over and over again
My favorite Bassist of all time. RIP Mike and Layne 🙏
This was really good. Thank you for making this video.
Wow this band is steeped in tragedy not only did we lose this talent, but we also lost Layne😢😭
So heartbreaking
...yeah...you are 😍🥰
😂oops🤭🙈
@@udsmall7306 what ?
@@adriennereyes5405 nuthin...just a double entendre that... you're cute! 😂🤭
@@udsmall7306 thank you
@@adriennereyes5405 you're welcome! Have a nice night 😍🤭🌌
One of the greatest bass players in history.
I have nothing but love for Mike. God bless Mike and Melinda, and their Mom too, I am still a little mad at his Dad though because I wish his Dad protected him from substances better when he was younger. But, I don't have hate, I'm just "a little bitter"....
It used to break my heart when he was on that rehab show. He introduced himself to everyone like "hi, mike starr from Alice in chains", like he felt noone knew who he was without the name of the band....
As sad as these are to hear, it should also be pointed out that they are very well done. Great job as usual.
mike starr was a awesome bassist and superb stage presence even sun red sun was great music a very sad loss a true tragedy
I was Lucky to see them on their “Dirt” tour.
U were so blessed 2 have had that experience. Sure wish I had seen them!
Damn good bassist and he looked like a total rock star as well. RIP.
Mike was such a wonderful, talented kind soul. He was just so stuck mentally and physically. I used to play bass an absolutely he is such a huge musical inspiration for me. I have a tattoo dedicated to him. ❤
Apparently you didn’t know Mike well
Saw AIC Facelift tour on LSD & wasn't impressed. Then saw them again on LSD Dirt tour & BLEW ME AWAY!!! RIP BROS! ✌ ❤ 🚬
Damn, I'd of loved to see them on LSD.
@@GazB85 After 1st time opening 4 Ozzy w/ Motorhead, was just ok. But when saw them Lollapalooza @ night they opened w/ "Them Bones" & all the lights flashed on & off as Layne screamed "AHHH!"..."AHHH!" w/ sunglasses on, hair slicked back, n an Armani suit!!! Blew my head off! Went out next day & bought the album! "DIRT" THEEE GRUNGE GOAT!!!! Was blessed, my friend!!! ✌ ❤ 🚬
All I get from your comment is that you do LSD when you go to concerts. I guess this is where we are supposed to applaud? 🤷♀️
@@Gomba13 Comments r 4 sharing, F**KWAD!!! GTFOH CRY BABY!!!🎆😥🔫
Would? is my favorite bass intro.
Mike was so handsome!!!
AIC was supposed to play Woodstock 94 & canceled just days before the show-they are on the T-shirt & program I have; never saw them live, sadly…..LSMS RIP
My band was supposed to open for 'Days Of The New feat. Mike Starr' the same week he passed. It was surreal hearing about his death.
Days of the new was such an awesome band. So different!
Great video. This topic was overdue.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mike and what I most remember is him saying to me.
Quote, I'm a good person. Not just because of the band ,but because I know I am . end Quote.
God bless he was a sweetheart. And a groovy rocking bass player. Rock in Power*
Met Mike at Silver Dollar Saloon in Lansing Michigan and Stayed Friends Until His Death..I Do Miss Him..🤘🖤🙏😪
What great stories you must have!
@@mariolopez3728 Taped The Whole Concert...Stayed Friends Till The End🤘🖤✌
@@rebelrocker7494 I love all of Alice In Chains albums but without a doubt my favorites are the first ones where Mike Starr played in!
Not enough credit given to Inez, he saved the band.
100%. Mike Starr was along for the ride. Inez on the other hand, is a songwriter and an excellent musician.
inez was exactly what the band needed. He was professional, creative, and friend who only wanted the best for his bandmates. Honestly Jerry and Sean have picked well with Inez and William, both guys are super respectful of what Starr and Layne contributed to the band.
Really was perfect fit too.
@@dreamxclown exactly. William was picked because he shows up on time.
@@jondubb35 no disrespect meant, but I think Mike Starr was a very creative artist. Those bass lines are very strong… He’s in his own league, tone wise, melodically, and unique. He is a big reason records he contributed on are so good… as are Mike Inez’s. Both great contributors. Inez filled the shoes well, but them shoes were pretty big.
I’m getting a little bit of giggles of Jerry getting jealous of Mike making the sexiest babe of the month !!! 😂😂💜