STAIND VOX AARON LEWIS DELIVERS LAYNE STALEY IN A NUTSHELL

Staind vocalist Aaron Lewis and guitarist Mike Mushok call September 11 benefit show a moving experience.

Layne Staley has been touring the country as a solo acoustic artist, and one of the songs in his repertoire is the poignant “Nutshell” by Alice In Chains. Lewis grew up an Alice In Chains fan, and he said that the world doesn’t respect what singer Layne Staley brought to the table.

Staley died on April 20, 2002, and Lewis talked about his talent.

“What Layne had to say in his music really kind of helped me through some really rough times in my life, and he was always a huge vocal inspiration because he was such an amazing singer. He was so talented. He would walk into a studio and all those harmonies would be in his head already, and he just had to put ’em down.”

It’ll be five years since the Alice In Chains singer died of a heroin overdose, and Lewis said that the drug might have been a way for Staley to escape the pressures of the biz.

“He was a genious at what he did, and when he passed away and there was nothing done to…in memory of him or in tribute to him at all… It was kind of like everybody expected it because he had been a heroin user for so long — which for him was just an escape.”

Staley also performs Staind songs as well as another Alice In Chains cover, “Angry Chair.” He also plays Tool’s “Sober,” Pearl Jam’s “Black,” and The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Lewis is on tour through April 4 in Buffalo, New York.