Behind the Bone-Rattling Band Name “Alice in Chains”

In the history of grunge music, names like Pearl Jam and Nirvana stick out. In the genre’s Mount Rushmore, you’ll also find the Chris Cornell-led Soundgarden.

But the band that sometimes gets left off the tips of tongues is Alice in Chains. But it might be the best of all.

Originally featuring two singers, Layne Staley, and Jerry Cantrell, the band soared up the hard rock charts with albums like Dirt in 1992 and the band’s self-titled LP in 1995.

[RELATED: Alice in Chains Returns to the Stage After 3-Year Hiatus to Celebrate 30 Years of ‘Dirt’]

Sadly, as is the story with too many grunge groups, band members suffered from drug abuse, particularly Staley, who died in 2002. Prior to his passing, Staley exhibited an astonishing vocal presence. With a voice that could limbo down in the low registers or soar like a vulture in the high-up levels, he was one of the most impressive singers on Earth.

Today, the band has soldiered on, employing vocalist William DuVall as of 2006 to sing along with Cantrell. Alice in Chains is rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez.

The History of the Name “Alice in Chains” Part 1

Formed officially in 1987, the founding band members were musicians in Seattle’s budding rock scene long before. Staley, at first, was a drummer, earning his first singing gig later in the glam band Sleze. It was a different time. And from here, the story gets even more winding.

The original name Alice in Chains came from a goofy conversation between a few musicians. One was a member of Sleze and the other of the band Slaughter Haus 5. They were talking about backstage passes and one of theirs read, “Welcome to Wonderland.” The two rockers started talking about the story of Alice in Wonderland. And then Slaughter Haus 5’s Russ Klatt said as a band name change for Sleze, “What about Alice in Chains? Put her in bondage and stuff like that,” according to the seminal book on grunge, Everybody Loves Our Town.

The members of Sleze liked the name and changed it. But that’s when the concern from others came in. Family members, including Layne Staley’s mom, Nancy, didn’t like the implications of the name, and neither did some friends. So in 1986, the group changed it up to Alice N’ Chains, noting that the middle-N was not a nod to Guns N’ Roses.

Staley and Cantrell

The two met in the summer of 1987 in Seattle. Not long before Cantrell had seen an Alice N’ Chains show in the city of Tacoma, which is about 45 minutes south of the Emerald City.

The two hit it off and Staley invited Cantrell, who was homeless at the time after being kicked out of his family’s home, to be with him in the Alice N’ Chains rehearsal space.

New Bands

Cantrell formed his own band, Diamond Lie. Around this time Alice N’ Chains broke up and Staley joined a funk band.

[RELATED: Alice In Chains Sell Music Catalog for $50 Million]

Staley gave Cantrell a contact for drummer Sean Kinney to set up a conversation. The two brought it to a mutual friend, Mike Starr. Now a trio, the new band needed a singer and a name.

Staley’s funk band needed a guitar player and here is where the negotiations began: Cantrell agreed to join Staley’s group if he would join Cantrell’s. According to lore, since everyone wanted Staley to join the new Cantrell group, they would audition bad lead singers in front of him to push his buttons and push him into joining. But the final move happened when the funk band broke up. So, Staley joined Cantrell’s new project full-time.

The History of the Name “Alice in Chains” Part 2

The group quickly began to play gigs around town. They had different names, including Diamond Lie (Cantrell’s old band name) and, simply, Fuck.

Finally, the light bulb went off and they went to Alice in Chains. No apostrophe-N. When Staley reached out to his old band names, they were not happy about it. But they begrudgingly said it was alright.

Now, while the band espouses any unwanted bondage, it’s hard to think about this brooding, shrieking heavy metal band with any other moniker.

Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images