Former Alice in Chains Basisst Mike Starr R.I.P.

Mike Starr, former bassist for the rock band Alice in Chains, passed on 8 March 2011. He was only 44.

Mike Starr was born 4 April 1966 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He would later move to the mainland where he would co-found the band Diamond Lie with guitarist Jerry Canttrell. The band would evolve into Alice in Chains. Alice in Chains was eventually signed to Columbia Records. As the group's bassist Starr would appear on the group's debut album Facelift, its second album Dirt, and the EP Sap.He and the band parted ways following Dirt. He would later play bass with the band Sun Red Sun. Descending heavily into drugs, he would also appear on Celebrity Rehab in 2010.

I cannot feel sad about Mike Starr's passing. As far as I am concerned (and Nirvana fans might hate me for this), Alice in Chains was the best of the grunge bands of the Nineties. Mike Starr was part of the band's success, giving the group his considerable talent on bass. It is sad that his life was be dominated by drug addiction, with apparently not only cut short his music career, but may have had a role in his death.