Jerry Cantrell, the renowned guitarist and songwriter of Alice in Chains, recently revealed that his significant vocal role in the band was initially unplanned, attributing his eventual embrace of lead singing to the encouragement of the late Layne Staley.
In a candid interview with Gibson TV, Cantrell shared his original vision for his contribution to Alice in Chains (via Loudwire): “I never really wanted to be a lead singer, ever. I just wanted to play guitar, write songs and sing backups.” He felt this arrangement would be “easier” and, given Layne Staley’s powerful vocal abilities, Cantrell believed: “We had Layne Staley… Like, I don’t need to be singing anything. He’s got it covered, you know.”
However, Staley had a different perspective. Cantrell recounted pivotal conversations with Staley, particularly during the recording of their first EP, which marked Cantrell’s earliest experience singing lead on an Alice in Chains record.
Staley insisted: “Man, these are your lyrics. No offence, but they probably mean more to you than they do to me. I love singing them and all that, but you should sing some of these.” Despite Cantrell’s initial reluctance and his sentiment that he wasn’t “as good a singer” as Staley, his persistence ultimately convinced him to step into the spotlight.
This collaborative push led to the distinctive dual-vocal sound that became a hallmark of Alice in Chains. Over time, their voices evolved to complement each other, creating a unique sonic identity. Cantrell noted: “The cool thing about it is the way that we sang together, like the two of our voices kind of made a bigger voice. Sometimes you can totally tell when it’s him and you can totally tell when it’s me, but it’s a lot of times when we sing together you can’t tell which one is which. It kind of makes a thing, you know.” This blending of voices ultimately forged a more versatile and impactful vocal dynamic for the band.
While Alice in Chains recently performed at Ozzy Osbourne’s “Back To The Beginning” farewell concert after some earlier 2025 dates were cancelled due to drummer Sean Kinney’s medical emergency, the band currently has no further shows scheduled for 2025. This leaves Cantrell free to focus on his solo career in support of his album, I Want Blood. His solo tour is set to resume on August 16 in San Diego, with dates currently booked through September 14 in Kansas City. Additionally, he has two shows planned in Mexico in November.
Jerry Cantrell: I Want Blood Tour – Upcoming Dates:
- Sat, August 16: The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA
- Sun, August 17: House of Blues Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
- Tue, August 19: Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
- Wed, August 20: Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
- Fri, August 22: House of Blues Dallas – Dallas, TX
- Sat, August 23: Emo’s Austin – Austin, TX
- Tue, August 26: Jannus Live – St Petersburg, FL
- Wed, August 27: House of Blues Orlando – Lake Buena Vista, FL
- Fri, August 29: The Senate – Columbia, SC
- Sat, August 30: The Refinery Charleston – Charleston, SC
- Tue, September 2: Archer Music Hall – Allentown, PA
- Wed, September 3: Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
- Fri, September 5: House of Blues Cleveland – Cleveland, OH
- Sat, September 6: Roxian Theatre – Mckees Rocks, PA
- Sun, September 7: Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
- Tue, September 9: Saint Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI
- Wed, September 10: Capitol Theatre – Davenport, IA
- Fri, September 12: Uptown Theater – Minneapolis, MN
- Sat, September 13: The Astro – La Vista, NE
- Sun, September 14: Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO
- Fri, November 14: Corona Capital 2025 – México, Mexico
- Sun, November 16: Corona Capital 2025 – México, Mexico
