Over time, many band members have fallen victim to the deadly, highly glamorized rockstar lifestyle. Although some bands end up reuniting following the death of a member, it is important that the process is handled delicately.
A band’s popularity is often dictated by their frontman. The singer is typically who draws the crowd into sold-out arena tours, festivals, and records. When tragedy strikes, especially when the singer dies, it is difficult for the band to move forward.
Sometimes, a band goes their separate ways.
An example of a band breaking up after a member’s death is one of the most successful rock bands of all time: Led Zeppelin.
Zeppelin’s drummer, John Bonham, passed away in 1980 due to vomit aspiration from an overconsumption of alcohol. In the aftermath, the band subsequently broke up, never reuniting.
In 2020, Rush drummer Neil Peart passed away from brain cancer. Because Rush was a famous trio, it would have been incredibly difficult to keep touring without one-third of the band. Singer-bassist Geddy Lee said the band would not tour again.
Although some bands choose to break up and explore other avenues, sometimes the right decision is to continue on.
In the 1990s, Alice in Chains rose to stardom through the Seattle grunge scene. During this period, almost all famous grunge bands (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) were from Seattle and its surrounding areas.
Using the duo of lead vocalist Layne Staley and background vocalist/lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell, the band created a unique sound that combined sweet harmony with the rough sounds of metal.
However, heroin use was becoming increasingly more common in the music industry–Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain died in 1994 due to suicide by gunshot. At his time of death, he had morphine in his bloodstream.
Additionally, Alice in Chains’ famously referenced drug and alcohol abuse frequently in their songwriting. Their 1992 breakthrough album “Dirt” featured heavy references to heroin addiction and its impact on the user.
Their 1994 EP “Jar of Flies” was their first project to ever top the Billboard 200. In songs like “Don’t Follow” and “No Excuses,” the band acknowledges their struggles with substance abuse. Cantrell admitted he was an alcoholic and Staley was addicted to heroin.
In 1996, as the band promoted their self-titled LP, Staley’s drug usage grew worse; the band went on hiatus shortly after the promotion of the album.
Staley would often miss recording sessions and songs had to be rewritten to put Cantrell’s voice as the lead with Staley as backing vocalist.
The band would play one of their last shows for the MTV Unplugged program, which was positively received and is regarded as one of the best live performances of all time.
Staley died in 2002, overdosing on “speedball,” a drug mixture that contains heroin and cocaine.
After a few years of their hiatus, the band reunited in 2006– this time with a new singer, William DuVall. The layout of the band would also change: DuVall would sing Staley’s vocals in older music, but their newly released music would feature Cantrell as the lead.
The band then released their first album since Staley’s passing, “Black Gives Way to Blue.” The album recently turned fifteen years old.
In the album’s first track, “All Secrets Known,” the band acknowledges their past while making room in their hearts to start their lives again.
“Hope, a new beginning. Time, time to start living…Like just before we died. There’s no going back to the place we started from.”
Upon the release, Alice in Chains was faced with criticism of why the band was making new music without their frontman.
Sean Kinney, the band’s drummer and a founding member, admonished the fans who criticized their comeback.
“It’s amazing that they have such a connection, but they seem to act like it happened to them. But this happened to us and Layne’s family, not them,” Kinney said. “This is actually our lives, so we appreciate that, but it’s irrelevant. If we can be OK with it, why can’t you?”
Now, there is another big-name band facing a similar situation.
Linkin Park is considered the most popular band to come out of the nu metal scene in the 2000s. Featuring a duo vocalist pairing similar to Alice in Chains, they became famous for their pairing of hip-hop and hard rock.
The vocalist duo of Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington made Linkin Park a household name, with one of their songs being played in Michael Bay’s 2007 blockbuster film “Transformers.”
In 2017, the music world was shocked when it was announced that Bennington had committed suicide. The band went on a subsequent hiatus.
After a seven-year-long break with side projects and the 20th anniversary remaster of their album “Meteora,” the band announced a shocking reunion in September.
The band released a new single on Sept. 5, featuring their new co-vocalist, Emily Armstrong.
They also announced a new album releasing Nov. 15, called “From Zero.”
Armstrong’s addition has been criticized by the public, namely because of her connections to the Church of Scientology.
The Church of Scientology is classified as a cult in France and it is heavily frowned upon in other European countries.
While not publicly identifying with the Church, Armstrong’s parents are members. She was criticized for her supportive appearance at the rape hearing of “That 70s Show” actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson.
Linkin Park is currently preparing to tour, doing pop-up shows in Europe.
Band reunions after a frontman’s death are often controversial because of the public’s connection to them. However, if done right they can be a powerful tribute to the fallen and a testament to those searching for emotional strength.
