The original members of Alice in Chains are mourning the death of one of the Seattle grunge band’s cofounding members, bassist Mike Starr.
In a joint statement Tuesday, guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney said: “Jerry and Sean are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy — and the privacy of Mike’s family — during this difficult time. Their thoughts & prayers are with the Starr family.”
Starr, who was 44,
was found dead Tuesday in his Salt Lake City home. Starr’s roommate tells
TMZ the musician was “mixing” methadone and anxiety medication hours before he died. Starr’s official cause of death has yet to be determined.
His death comes weeks after he was arrested Feb. 18 for felony possession of a controlled substance. Salt Lake City police said he had several painkillers on him when he was arrested.
Starr appeared on season 3 of the VH1 reality show Celebrity Rehab last year.
Dr. Drew Pinsky, the show’s host,
Tweeted Tuesday: “Devastating to hear of Mike Starr succumbing to his illness. So very sad. Our prayers are with his family.”
In a sad twist, Alice in Chains’ original singer, Layne Staley, died of a drug overdose in 2002.
Alice in Chains shot to fame in the early 1990s. Starr left the group soon after the release of its 1992 album, Dirt.
