Alice in Chains: The Untold Story

  9. For the dates and set lists of Elton John’s Seattle shows in October 1975, see http://www.eltonography.com/cgi-bin/show_concert.cgi?DATE=1975-10-16 and http://www.eltonography.com/cgi-bin/show_concert.cgi?DATE=1975-10-17.

10. Jon Wiederhorn, “Famous Last Words,” Revolver, http://www.adbdesign.com/aic/articles/art114.html.

11. Jamie Elmer’s birth date is taken from the Jim Elmer–Nancy Elmer divorce records, obtained by the author through public records. The ages of the siblings in relation to one another is from an author interview with Ken Elmer.

12. Greg Prato, Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music (Toronto: ECW Press, 2009), 214; Wiederhorn, “To Hell and Back.”

13. Wiederhorn, “Famous Last Words.”

14. Wiederhorn, “Famous Last Words.”

15. Tom Scanlon, “Alice in Chains Singer’s Legacy Lives On Through Music,” Seattle Times, August 24, 2007.

16. Scanlon, “Legacy Lives On.”

CHAPTER 2

Sources for this chapter include author interviews with Johnny Bacolas, James Bergstrom, Tim Branom, Jamie Elmer, Jim Elmer, Ken Elmer, Byron Hansen, Nick Pollock, Ed Semanate, and Rick Throm.

  1. Greg Prato, Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music (Toronto: ECW Press, 2009), 214.

  2. The date of Layne’s supposed graduation and the date his records were sent to the Chrysalis School are from a document viewed at Meadowdale High School.

  3. Tom Scanlon, “Alice in Chains Singer’s Legacy Lives on Through Music,” Seattle Times, August 24, 2007, http://seattletimes.com/html/musicnightlife/2003850521_staley24.html.

  4. A transcript of the PMRC hearing can be read at http://www.joesapt.net/superlink/shrg99-529/; Gore, quoted in New York Times, “Tipper Gore Widens War on Rock,” January 4, 1988, http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/04/arts/tipper-gore-widens-war-on-rock.html.

  5. Paul Andrews, “Parents, Artists Disagree Over Rock-Labeling Issue,” Seattle Times, October 4, 1985.

  6. Drum Magazine, “Sean Kinney,” http://web.archive.org/web/20120325133557/http://www.drummagazine.com/drumpedia/post/sean-kinney/; Sean Kinney, interview for Alice in Chains Electronic Press Kit (EPK), 1996, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVsDKZL-0bc.

  7. Chris Gill, “Dirt,” Guitar Legends, issue 117; Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney, interview, Faceculture.tv, 2009, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJW77uMEHdI.

  8. For Layne’s statement about having to hide his jacket, see Jon Wiederhorn, “Alice in Chains: To Hell and Back,” Rolling Stone, February 8, 1996, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/alice-in-chains-to-hell-and-back-rolling-stones-1996-feature-20110405. The accuracy of this quote was confirmed by author interviews with Johnny Bacolas and James Bergstrom.

CHAPTER 3

Sources for this chapter include author interviews with David Ballenger, Tim Branom, Scott Hunt, and Robert Lunte.

  1. From the lease signed by Bengt Von Haartman, Gabriel Marian, and Rosen Investment Company dated September 20, 1984, obtained by the author through a public records request from Federal Archives in Seattle as part of the case file for U.S. v. Marian.

CHAPTER 4

Sources for this chapter include author interviews with Johnny Bacolas, James Bergstrom, Tim Branom, Thad Byrd, Morgen Gallagher, Jeff Gilbert, Dave Hillis, Robert Lunte, and Nick Pollock.

  1. For the list of David Kyle’s former students, see Robert Lunte’s biography at http://seattlevoicetraining.com/bio/.

  2. The approximate timing for the Alice ’N Chains name change is based on three pieces of evidence: first, when Thad Byrd films the band in September 1986, they are still called Sleze; second, several of Tim Branom’s rough demo mixes from late 1986 already have the Alice ’N Chains name written on them; and third, by the time the demo is actually released in January 1987, the name change has already taken place.

  3. Greg Prato, Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music (Toronto: ECW Press, 2009), 216.

  4. The Rocket, June 1987, 10.

CHAPTER 5

Sources for this chapter include author interviews with Johnny Bacolas, David Ballenger, James Bergstrom, Duane Lance Bodenheimer, Tim Branom, Morgen Gallagher, Jeff Gilbert, Dave Hillis, Ron Holt, Scott Hunt, Matt Muasau, Bobby Nesbitt, Scott Nutter, Nick Pollock, and Darrell Vernon.

  1. Mark Yarm, Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge (New York: Crown Archetype, 2011), 168.

  2. Regarding the details of Rob Brustad’s death, see King County Medical Examiner’s report, obtained by the author through a public records request.