Layne Staley’s Last House

Layne Staley was the vocalist of Alice in Chains, one of the bands that defined Seattle grunge in the 1990s, and one of the most recognizable voices in rock of his generation. Alongside Jerry Cantrell, he wrote songs like “Man in the Box,” “Nutshell,” and “Angry Chair,” which remain among the most intense recordings of the era. He died on April 5, 2002, at the age of 34, from a drug overdose. His body was found days later inside the apartment where he had been living.

That apartment is unit 5C of the building at 4528 8th Ave NE, in the University District neighborhood, north of downtown Seattle. Layne purchased the apartment in 1997 and lived there until the end. Inside, he also kept a small recording studio — meaning music remained present even during the years he had withdrawn from public life and from recording with Alice in Chains.

Layne’s final years were marked by the worsening of his addiction, which caused severe physical deterioration. He lived in near-total seclusion, rarely went out, and received very few visitors. But friends who were with him during that period have said he genuinely loved that apartment and took pride in the space he had created for himself.

The Ward Street House and Mad Season

Before moving to the University District, Layne lived in a house at 552 Ward Street, which he shared with a friend. It was there that Mike McCready — Pearl Jam’s guitarist and one of Layne’s closest friends — would visit him regularly, in an effort to help him hold on through music.

The two would play together, write together, keep each other company. Out of those sessions grew Mad Season, the project that brought together Layne Staley, Mike McCready, Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees, and John Baker Saunders.

Visiting

The building at 4528 8th Ave NE is private. Access to the interior is not possible, and that boundary should be respected. The visit takes place outside, in front of the facade, with the discretion the place calls for and that its residents deserve.

Going there is a personal gesture. There is no plaque, no sign, nothing to mark the location for anyone passing by who does not already know. It is an ordinary building in a university neighborhood in Seattle. But for those who know the story, stopping there for a few minutes is a way of acknowledging and honoring Layne Staley.