Hear Layne Staley's Isolated Vocals From 'Would,' 'Rooster'

Today marks the 16th anniversary of Layne Staley's death. While a decade and a half has gone by since the Alice in Chains singer's passing, his iconic voice will live forever. His expressed his struggles with depression and drug abuse through his chilling vocals that were equally beautiful and haunting. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan put it perfectly, saying, "he was different because his heaviness was in that voice."

On the tenth anniversary of this death, The Atlantic described what made Layne such a stand out talent of not only the grunge scene but in the history of rock n' roll. 

The Seattle grunge scene that transformed rock in the '90s produced four great voices, but the most distinct among them belonged to Alice in Chains' Layne Staley. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain deeply understood musical dynamics and could simultaneously scream and sing a melody in a way that few others could—think of John Lennon's searing lead vocal performance on "Twist and Shout." Soundgarden's Chris Cornell wailed and hit high notes, putting him at times in Robert Plant or Freddie Mercury territory. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder combined a Jim Morrison-style natural baritone range with other punk and rock influences.

But Staley sounded like no one else. His ability to project power and vulnerability in his vocals, as well as the unique and complementary harmonies he created when singing with Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, made for a style that would get copied for years after Alice in Chains became a household name. 

You can check out just how amazing Layne's talent was thanks to this audio from the band's hit song "Would." All the instruments have been stripped away to show Layne's incredible vocals, as well as guitarist Jerry Cantrell's.

You can also hear Layne's isolated voice in this version of the band's classic song "Rooster" off their second studio album Dirt.  

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