Fact N°1: “Raindrops keep falling on my head”
Did you know that the first song Layne sang in his life was "Raindrops keep falling on my head" a song created in 1969 for the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" that won the Oscar for best original song?
Layne sang it as "audition" to enter the pre-school band, despite being smaller than kindergarten children that were involved. According to , Nancy McCallum, Layne´s mother: “Layne was very musical. Even when he was young, he was in a rhythm band, and a woman named Ms. Graham had a rhythm band for little children who were in pre-school and kindergarten. I went to ask her if she would consider taking Layne, a little younger, because he already knew some tunes and was singing! His first song was .Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.. So cute! And she said: .Sure, he can join us..”
This band made several shows around the neighborhood, at least once a week.
Did you know Jerry Cantrell, besides singing the song "Heaven & Hell" with the legendary rock band "Circus of Power" on his 1993 album "Magic and Madness" is credited as a producer and songwriter in the same album?
Fact N°2: “Circus of Power”
Fact N°3: “Stephen King”
Did you know that Layne at the beginning of Alice in Chains often found inspiration reading the best sellers of horror writer Stephen King and not from from songriters?
According to Layne: I really like Stephen King, even though I think...I like the way he writes, but I think it's pretty redundant. Yeah, I get inspiration from reading his stuff. As for songwriters, not really. You know, I have favourite songs and favourite bands, but I don't really pay attention to the songwriting too much."
Did you know that Greg Gilmore of Mother Love Bone almost played and recorded drums for Facelift? According to Sean Kinney: I played with a broken hand — I broke my hand right before. I almost didn’t play on the record — they started rehearsing with the drummer from Mother Love Bone, Greg Gilmore. I was sitting there playing with one hand, guiding him through it. Dave Jerden (Producer) came in and they started to try to do it. He was like, “Screw it — pull the plug. This is not going to be the same.” Luckily, we took a tiny bit of time off. I had that cast on for a while, and was like, “I can’t miss this.” I cut my cast off in the studio and kept a bucket of ice by the drum set. Kept my hand iced down and played with a broken hand.
Fact N°4: “Greg Gilmore and Facelift”
Did you know that the first tour Sean Kinney made he was part of a band called “The Cross Cats” In Sean Kinney´s words: I was in my grampa's band the Cross Cats when I was nine years old. Fabulous band. We played all sorts of shit: standards, show tunes, swing. We would travel all over the country playing weddings and square dances. He had all kinds of musicians coming through the band: accordion players, fiddlers, old sax guys from the big band era. My grandad played a washtub bass with a string and a broom handle on it. He would just jam on that thing! That was my first experience travelling on the road. We'd go up to Canada, Oregon, all over.
Fact N° 5 : “The Cross Cats”
Did you know that Jerry Cantrell and Mike Starr played together in a band called Gypsy Rose for about three weeks before Alice in Chains? According to Tim Branon, Gypsy Rose Singer: " I played in a band called Gypsy Rose. For about six months, Mike Starr played in the band.Jerry Cantrell played in the band for about three weeks. Jerry had a little bit different style; we were kind of going for the metal speed-demon, Yngwie Malmsteen–type players, and he was more song-oriented, so it didn’t work out. Mike Starr got kicked out of the band because he and the drummer were fighting over a girl.
Then Jerry called up Mike Starr and started a new band".
Fact N°6: “Jerry Cantrell and Mike Starr played in Gypsy Rose together”
Did you know that Layne liked to do haircuts and hairstyles?
According to Liz Elmer, Layne´s sister: I came back home from school one day, I was in middle school, and Layne said to me: Let me do your hair Liz! I watched the guy doing it and I know how to do it.
Layne´s hair was cut like Joan Jet at that time, and I had my hair passing my shoulders. So he started cutting my hair and you know it was just like, you know (laughs). I was so proud of looking ridiculous and I didn´t care. I wouldn´t hurt his pride (laughs)..
Fact N°7: “Layne liked to do Haircuts”
Did you know that Layne used to go to church just to sing?
According to Nancy McCallum, Layne´s mother: He had gone to church every Sunday and every Wednesday night to sing. So even though he didn´t have singing lessons, he had a lot of music around him. It wasnt unusual for him to be able to sing. Also, Im a second soprano and that means I do harmonies. I would sing with Layne when the radio was on, I would sing in harmony from the time he was a baby. So I think it was really natural for him. There´s a talent all over the family!
Fact N°8: “Layne sang in church every Sunday and Wednesday”
According to Martin: I was the last guy to talk to Baker. I spoke to him on the phone the night he died; we were supposed to meet for lunch the next day, since I hadn’t hung out with him in a little bit. I guess that night this dealer came over, and Baker overdosed and died right there on the kitchen floor
Fact N°10: Did you know Barrett Martin was the last guy who saw Baker alive?
According to Johnny Bacolas: Either during the making of the record or after, McCready started getting really concerned about Layne. He really wanted Layne to go back to Hazelden, where Layne had been in the past.He knew that Layne really liked this one counselor, whose name was Lowell, kind of a Harley-Davidson biker-type dude. McCready flew Lowell out one day and surprised Layne. Layne agreed to go back to Hazelden, but he only ended up staying for two or three days before flying back to Seattle.
Facts N°9 : Did you know Layne had a counselor called Lowell?
