Last night it was discovered that former Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr, who was in the band from 1987 to 1993, had passed away. He was 44 years old. While the cause of death is still unknown, Starr’s drug addiction has been well noted and even documented on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. And while the news of his passing is extremely sudden, many members of the metal community have spoken out, including Starr’s former band.
Alice In Chains released the following statement regarding the passing of their former band mate:
“Jerry [Cantrell, guitar] and Sean [Kinney, drums] are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy — and the privacy of the Starr family — during this difficult time. Their thoughts and prayers are with the Starr family.”
But Alice In Chains weren’t the only ones to comment on Starr’s passing. Take a look at what other metal artists have said (via Twitter) in response this tragic news after the jump:
Steven Adler (ex-Guns N’ Roses, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew): “I love and will miss my brother Mike Starr and I’m doing whatever it takes to not hurt all my friends and family that way!! Peace and love my brother Mike Starr!!!”
Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue): “RIP Mike Starr. Another fallen soldier to addiction… : (”
Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater): “RIP Mike Starr… I watched his struggle on ‘Celebrity Rehab’ and had my fingers crossed for his recovery… this disease kills… sad stuff…”
Slash (ex-Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver): “Really tragic news about Mike Starr. RIP.”
Mark Morton (Lamb Of God): “Horrible news. RIP Mike Starr.”
Matt Sorum (ex-Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver): “Drugs and alcohol aren’t a joke. Please take care of yourself and respect yourself. We lost Mike Starr today. Rest in Peace man.”
And perhaps, the one that put things into perspective the most comes from Chris Jericho (Pro Wrestler, Fozzy, TV Personality): “Sorry to hear about Mike Starr’s death. Amid all of the joking about tiger blood and winning, let’s not forget that drugs kill people.”
We expect to hear more reactions from the metal community soon. We also hope to find out more details surrounding Starr’s death. We’ll keep you posted as this story develops. Our thoughts are with Starr’s family and friends.
