Died On This Date (March 8, 2011) Mike Starr / Alice In Chains

Mike Starr
April 4, 1966 – March 8, 2011

Mike Starr was the original bassist for Seattle grunge band, Alice In Chains.  Morphed from Diamond Lie, a band made up of Starr, Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley, and Sean Kinney, Alice In Chains went on to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world.  Starr can be heard on the band’s Facelift and Dirt albums.  He and Alice In Chains parted ways during their Dirt tour of 1992/93. Starr went on to play in Sun Red Sun, a band that also included Ray Gillen of Black Sabbath and Badlands fame.   In 2009, Starr appeared on VH1’s drug rehabilitation program, Celebrity Rehab as he attempted to beat his heroin addiction.  He also participated in the show’s spin-off, Sober House and later episodes of Celebrity Rehab.  At the time of his death, Starr was playing with Days Of The New, whose original singer, Travis Meeks, found him unconscious in the home they were sharing.  Mke Starr was 44 when he was pronounced dead on March 8, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums and Nancy Powell for the assist.

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Dirt - Alice In Chains


 

Died On This Date (March 8, 2011) Shagy Kennedy / Guitarist For Everything Went Black

Brian “Shagy” Kennedy
DOB Unknown – March 8, 2011

Photo by Anthony Tripoi

Member of the 27 Club

Shagy Kennedy was a St. Louis, Missouri guitarist who, most recently played in local hardcore band, Everything Went Black.  Prior to joining the group in 2009, Kennedy played in A Thousand Nations and She Notes The Chariots.  In October of 2008, he was diagnosed with Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma and ultimately died from the rare form of cancer on March 8, 2011.  He was just 27.