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Alice In Chains' Mike Starr Reportedly Found Dead In Salt Lake City

posted Mar 8, 2011 at 6:35 PM by Driftski.  (61 Comments)

TMZ.com is reporting that former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr has died in Utah. Starr was 44 years old. According to TMZ, police found his body in a Salt Lake City, Utah home earlier today. No information on the cause of death has yet been made available.

ABC News 4 in Salt Lake City is reporting that Starr's body was found at 1:42 p.m. in a residence at 1986 South Richards St. The station is also reporting that Starr was busted in February in Salt Lake City for illegal prescription drug possession.

Tributes to Starr have already been posted on his personal website - www.wix.com/mikestarr. The site also includes an undated posting from Starr which reads: "Wrote a killer song with my new band . . . We jammed last week at a small club. It was straight comedy."

Born in Hawaii, Starr played with AIC from the band's formation in Seattle in 1987 until he left in 1993. He also appeared on the 2010 reality TV show "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew Pinsky on VH1. Dr. Drew posted a message moments ago on his Twitter, which read: "Devastating to hear of Mike Starr succumbing to his illness. So very sad. Our prayers are with his family."

Additional information on this developing story will be updated as it is made available and as statements are made by family and friends.

Read the full article at TMZ.

Source: TMZ

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61 Comments on "Alice In Chains' Mike Starr Reportedly Dead"

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brandedcfh420's avatar

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1. brandedcfh420 writes:

its all over the web now.

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 6:39 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
2. Elbob17 writes:

RIP Mike

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 6:45 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
3. trevs420 writes:

Another great one gone

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 6:55 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
4. DebbieJ writes:

So sad I really liked him on Celebrity Rehab...seemed like such a troubled soul, I hope he gets to see his friend when he gets to Heaven!!!

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 6:58 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
5. Alice-In-Chains writes:

Sad news today, RIP Brother

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:11 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
zMETALlica's avatar

Senior News Correspondent

6. zMETALlica writes:

don't do drugs mmmmk

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:12 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
7. nicky harris writes:

yep rip mike your memorie will be in our harts and or thoughts

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:27 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
8. Monika writes:

I don't get why 67 people liked this on Facebook

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:37 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
9. Sad writes:

That website is already gone. RIP Mike :(

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:45 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
10. ZMA writes:

Theres been a lot of bass players dying recently. That sucks.

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:50 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
silvermountains's avatar

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11. silvermountains writes:

really sad to hear this, RIP

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:51 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
heavy1's avatar

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12. heavy1 writes:

This f***ing blows! AIC are one of my all time favorite bands. First Layne, now Mike! My heart goes out to his family, Jerry, and Sean. RIP MIKE!

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 8:03 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
13. R Tenney writes:

Sad news! So young too. Condolences to his family and friends NP :Alice in Chains ; Angry Chair

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 8:09 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
OlafBerzerker's avatar

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14. OlafBerzerker writes:

sad news np: aic junkhead

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 8:54 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hellrat's avatar

Member

15. hellrat writes:

fvckin junkies man...jesus fvcking christ

RIP it up with Laney, Mike..... thanks for the killer fvckin tunes Boys!!

Horns Up Fvcker! \m/

NP---Down in a Hole

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 9:03 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
16. thadeus writes:

RIP my friend.

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 9:11 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
17. wabewa writes:

Theres been a lot of bass players dying recently. That sucks.

http://www.apakistantimes.com/former-alice-in-chains-bassist-mike-starr-dead-at-44

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 9:47 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Trendkill91's avatar

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18. Trendkill91 writes:

RIP. This is some shocking news.

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 9:51 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
19. That_Metal_Dude writes:

sad news indeed guys, and here i thought this year might be good to us.. and then this happens... FU*KKK! ... anyways... R.I.P Mike

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 11:25 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
20. RAMARIOT writes:

ANOTHER FALLEN SOLDIER TO ADDICTION !!!

[[ *MIKE STARR* ]]
__\mXm/__

# Mar 8, 2011 @ 11:43 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Dying_Isis's avatar

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21. Dying_Isis writes:

RIP

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 6:23 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hater_guy's avatar

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22. hater_guy writes:

such a shame. R.I.P. Mike Starr

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 9:14 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
FULLMETAL's avatar

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23. FULLMETAL writes:

Damn it...AIC is the reason i started to like grunge.....RIP Mike...thanks for the music.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 9:43 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Blindgreed1's avatar

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24. Blindgreed1 writes:

Before we go getting all "R.I.P." around here, let's not forget that Mr. Starr was there when Layne Staley OD'd and rather than helping him or at least calling 911 he chose to leave and not tell anyone about Layne's death. 2 weeks later Layne's black, bloated body was found in his home where Starr left him, all for the sake of not fvcking up Starr's probation.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:47 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Southern_Bastard's avatar

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25. Southern_Bastard writes:

Now That's a full 50% of AIC that has died from overdose.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:50 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Southern_Bastard's avatar

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26. Southern_Bastard writes:

RIP

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:50 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RTB's avatar

Member

27. RTB writes:

Perfect point greed...
I was pulling for him to get better though..
In a way, this is not surprising whatsoever...
Nice to see the MU be conservative here and use the word " reportedly"..

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:59 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
28. R Tenney writes:

Sounds typical of the selfish addict behavior Greed. This guys been f***ed up for a long time. Weren't shocked of the news;but lm sure he leaves behind kids. that part of this is the sorriest part in his sickened state ;he probably died happy

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 12:13 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Blindgreed1's avatar

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29. Blindgreed1 writes:

My sympathy and respect goes out to his friends and family that had to deal with all of his sh!t through the years. Him? Pat him in the face with a shovel and move on...

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 12:22 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
30. R Tenney writes:

Amen to that

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 12:34 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hellrat's avatar

Member

31. hellrat writes:

nah dudes, i highly doubt he 'died happy'....numbed out, certainly

the guy certainly didn't live happily....was a pretty anguished wreck, incapapable of dealing with his consuming guilt about the personal circumstances of Layne's demise

its fvckin too bad, but that's the way it is....but the music them dudes made together will always be some of my outright favorite

Now Children; if you want to get high and feel all warm and fuzzy inside, to hell with the powders and needles, sauces and slurries...puff a fattie marley and have a nice tall frosty brew, goddamnit! :)

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 12:43 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Rychemn's avatar

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32. Rychemn writes:

R.I.P..Mike......thanks for the great music my fellow musician....\M/..\M/...


N.P......Sea of Sorrow....AIC.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 12:53 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
33. R Tenney writes:

Yea HR I wasn't aware of his personal circumstance involving Staley. The entire thing is pathetic. Difficult to feel sorry for anyone other than the people he effected with his lifestyle choices. The Brews and smoke; that's my style so I hear u there

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 12:59 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
WOLF7's avatar

Member

34. WOLF7 writes:

BG, I had no idea of that.

So Starr was actually with Staley when he OD'd. Man... these guys...

Drugs really suck. I think Cantrell put it the right way; "drugs Really are a slow suicide. They make absolutely no sense to me".

Me neither.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 1:46 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hellrat's avatar

Member

35. hellrat writes:

Ya Big R, pathetic indeed....this kind of sh** p!sses me off as well...hell, one of my lifelong friends reached the point of not being able to cope with this world a couple years ago, and decided the Band Aid for his unfulfilled spirit was to smoke the business end of a .357 mag

it was absolutely devastating for all of us, and i will admit that i am still p!ssed at that fvcker

but i don't know if its better to see someone like these folks continue to suffer through their excruciating personal battle with existance, alienating themselves from any attempt at assistance from those who love them, while becoming a living black hole of pain?

we simply never know exactly which lesson, which path, is appropriate for any individual, but it sure does come off as utterly self absorbed and exceedingly weak hearted when someone checks out like this

nothin nice about any of it

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 1:54 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
36. R Tenney writes:

Yea HR I'd rather remember the AIC I saw on Clash of Titans your in 91 ! They were running sh** back then ; altough it was not easy to convince my friends of that. I remember some boos also. NP/ AIC : Them Bones

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 2:26 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
toxic.clown's avatar

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37. toxic.clown writes:

another sad day in music

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 2:48 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hellrat's avatar

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38. hellrat writes:

dude, i saw that same show! albuquerque at tingley

we didn't even know who the fvck alice were, we actually were way up high in the seating blazing bowls throughout there set! we were like 'who the fvck is this??.........actually, pretty fvckin slick, eh?' :)

that show was fvcking insane!!! we four lost eachother in the slayer figure 8 pits, and somehow all ended up hooking back up right at the end of the night, all having bought the EXACT same fvcking shirt! the one with the screaming helmeted skull made of missiles, howitzers, and artillery belts and the dates on the back! i bet we looked like a bunch of fvckin dorks comin outta there like that....we were battered young metallers, but it was the victorious hour---them were the evilist pits any of us had ever faced and battled through :)

bought Dirt pretty much straight after

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 3:00 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hellrat's avatar

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39. hellrat writes:

sorry "straight after it came out

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 3:03 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
40. R Tenney writes:

Yea HR those were the days. Summer 91 in MA. You don't remember the boos for AIC? They got razzed pretty hard. Slayer fans were a bit more boisterous back then. Slayer chants thru their brief set. 6 months later Smells Like Teen Spirit went into heavy rotation and the rest history. Aah well good times anyways.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 3:17 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
hellrat's avatar

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41. hellrat writes:

oh dude, it was chaos!! there was no booing....just outright screaming!! people were just going apesh** down on the floor, it was as if alice in chains wasn't even ther playing....there were huddles of drunk fvckers chanting slayer songs, people fighting, all kinds of fvckers running around like loons, and that fvcking screaming!!...jesus

it resulted in megadeth playing pretty much their whole set with the lights on....then slayer came on and ALL FVCKING HELL BROKE LOOSE!!! that's when we all dove in...it was some fvcking high speed sh!t in there man, full fvcking charge!! :) \m/

but i ended up getting into aic when dirt came out cause i remembered that what i could actually hear of their performance through the fvcking noise that night sounded pretty fvckin cool

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 3:53 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
wilco's avatar

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42. wilco writes:

damm they are not lucky with bandmembers to stay alive
l

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 4:12 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
43. R Tenney writes:

Yea HR ten thou raging Slayer fans were a beast u didn't want to f*** with back then. sh** would literally come unglued in a hurry. sh** would get tore up @smashed to sh**. AIC handled it well and the 3 guys I went with were listening to AIC in six months!

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 4:23 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
OlafBerzerker's avatar

Member

44. OlafBerzerker writes:

starr shoulda sucked it up and forgot about the lights and fandango and hit the real rehab not that hollywood bullsh$t. if he bailed on layne than he was dead years ago

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 4:44 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
45. R Tenney writes:

Hear ya Bezerker. That lowest common denominator Dr Drew crap aint reality TV I want to see. Seeing people at their worst aint good TV. A little Pawn Stars; man vs wild ;now that's some sh** ill watch!

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 4:58 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
spiral_architect's avatar

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46. spiral_architect writes:

first the singer, now the bassist! maybe the guitarist and drummer are next?

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 5:10 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
ATDAWNTHEYSLEEP's avatar

Member

47. ATDAWNTHEYSLEEP writes:

Agreed guys, I also was at the The Clash in 91 in Chicago....unreal when AIC went on..a full blown riot happened and anyone wearing AIC got destroyed...That show still stands out as one of the best shows ever...and even though no one wanted AIC ...they stood their ground..and yes when Slayer hit the stage...complete insanity hit the crowd.

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 8:27 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RTB's avatar

Member

48. RTB writes:

HELLRAT
check your voicemail cowboy...
I guess the guilt of laynes death ultimatly got to starr..
Damn shame

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 8:59 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
49. R Tenney writes:

Yea At Dawn;Slayer were indeed kings then and their rabid fan base violently let people know it. I at that point already had Facelift@ Soundgardens Loud Love @ kinda felt AIC was the future of heavy music. Of course when Nirvana dropped Nevermind the whole country knew who all these Seattle grungers were. Kudos to Clash promoter who dared put AIC on package though. I've never seen a band take so much sh**@ get heckled to play a half hour set. Cantrells got some funny comments on it but to be honest they were scared sh**less. Good sports though!

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 9:19 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
50. jimmy J. writes:

such a shame

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:36 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
51. bradmellowedout writes:

RIP mike. I'm sure the cops did


now sprinkle some crack on this n***** and lets get out of here

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:55 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
52. bradmellowedout writes:

*cops did it

# Mar 9, 2011 @ 11:55 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
CorpusUpir's avatar

Member

53. CorpusUpir writes:

Sad news once again RIP . AIC gave me and my friends so much inspiration sad to see the drugs destroy another one of them

# Mar 10, 2011 @ 10:45 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
n0thinghead's avatar

Member

54. n0thinghead writes:

wow, whatta shock. this came outta nowhere for me at least. DRUGS ARE BAD. may he rlly rest in peace and i hope nothing but the best for his family.

# Mar 10, 2011 @ 6:14 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
55. Jennifer Smith writes:

here is cool online memorial for Mike http://www.memorialmatters.com/memorials.php?page=MikeStarr

# Mar 10, 2011 @ 7:50 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
56. THRASH TILL DEATH writes:

RIP

# Mar 11, 2011 @ 3:23 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Trendkill91's avatar

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57. Trendkill91 writes:

Drugs are badd mmmkay.

# Mar 11, 2011 @ 6:46 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
58. no one writes:

not surprising at all. dont care at all. see u in hell buddy

# Mar 12, 2011 @ 10:47 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
JoO's avatar

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59. JoO writes:

This is why drugs SUCK!!!!! I'm no hypocrite tho....

# Mar 16, 2011 @ 9:42 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
PANDA's avatar

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60. PANDA writes:

Damn, that sucks. RIP Mike Starr. Everyone's all dying and sh!t these days..

# Mar 21, 2011 @ 10:41 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader
61. Toki writes:

yea, its no surprise, kinda sad cuz they the band that got me into the whole metal style of music :P
dont do drugs mmkay

# Mar 22, 2011 @ 9:40 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address

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