Jerry Cantrell, Alice In Chains guitarist, recently shared insights about his vocal journey with American Musical Supply.
“Standing next to Layne Staley, I don’t really need to be singing too much. That guy’s pretty bada**. So I was very happy just to be a songwriter and pipe up on some backups once in a while,” Cantrell said. “But he gave me some encouragement early on, like, ‘You write a lot of this sh*t. And I love this stuff.'”
“Don’t get me wrong, what I’m saying to you, ’cause I love it and I love singing it. But a lot of this stuff’s really personal to you. So you should sing a few of these,'” Cantrell recalled Staley’s words. “I’m, like, ‘I don’t wanna do it. Come on. You’ve got it.’ And he was, like, ‘No, no. Really, you should sing a few.'”
“I started doing stuff on like the acoustic EP, on ‘Sap.’ It was the first time I took a lead. I just kind of built from there and kept doing more and more,” he continued. “When Layne passed, we welcomed William DuVall in. The blueprint of our two-lead-vocal system needed to be maintained. It was something identifiable that Layne and I created with Sean and Mike.”
Staley’s encouragement helped Cantrell embrace his vocal role. This support made him feel equally important in the band’s dynamic.
This revelation offers new perspective on the unique vocal partnership that shaped Alice In Chains’ signature sound.
Rolling Stone notes that the harmonies between Staley and Cantrell became their most recognizable element. These distinctive vocals set them apart from other Seattle grunge bands.
Their vocal chemistry emerged at a Seattle party in 1987, as documented by Louder Sound. This partnership would create some of rock history’s most influential albums.
Guitar World reports that Cantrell’s vocal evolution accelerated after recording ‘Sap’ in 1992. This progression prepared him for his future role as the band’s primary vocalist alongside William DuVall after Staley’s passing.
The dual-vocal approach remains central to Alice In Chains’ identity. The band continues this signature element in their current incarnation.
