Former Alice in Chains Bassist Found Dead in Salt Lake City

According to Associated Press, former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr was found dead in a home in Salt Lake City earlier today. Starr, 44, played bass in the band from the band's formation in 1987 till 1993, when he was kicked out of the group, though not before playing...

By Jason P. Woodbury

March 8, 2011

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According to Associated Press, former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr was found dead in a home in Salt Lake City earlier today.

Starr, 44, played bass in the band from the band's formation in 1987 till 1993, when he was kicked out of the group, though not before playing on Dirt, arguably the band's most popular album.

Starr was featured on the third season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab in 2010, and then on a spin-off series, Sober House.

He did not take part in the Alice and Chains reunion album or tour (which our own Martin Cizmar blogged about last year), and his former band-mates didn't have much nice to say about his television gig, with drummer Sean Kinney calling the show "disgusting."

Starr's participation lead to a period of sobriety, but he was arrested last month in Salt Lake City on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance.

Starr is the second original member of the band to pass away: Singer Layne Staley died in 2002 from a drug overdose.

Jason P. Woodbury is a music and pop-culture writer based in Phoenix. He is a regular contributor to the music blog Aquarium Drunkard and co-host of the Transmissions podcast.

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