Jerry Cantrell paying tribute to Layne Staley holding a T-shirt with a photo of Layne on stage (April 27, 2002)
Video from Jerry Cantrell's solo concert at Charlotte Center City Fest in North Carolina on April 27, 2002, 8 days after Layne Staley's death was announced and a day before his funeral. Jerry plays "Solitude" from his solo album Degradation Trip, and Alice in Chains' songs "Down in a Hole" and "Them Bones", with William DuVall on backing vocals. At 3:05, Jerry grabs a T-shirt with Layne's photo from the crowd and shows the audience. At 4:35, Jerry talks about Layne's death for the first time in public before playing "Down in a Hole".
Despite the death of Layne Staley during this time, Cantrell opted not to cancel any shows, stating, "The shows I played between the time I got the word about Layne and Layne's funeral were very important to me in terms of being able to continue on. It's one of those things where if you take a break and allow things to settle in, it might be harder to get up again."
http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/music/article/Making-music-sees-Cantrell-through-death-and-dark-1087394.php
William DuVall, who performed Staley's vocals during Cantrell's solo concerts, elaborated on this emotional period:
"I lost my grandfather in the same week, so Cantrell and I both hit the road with immense personal losses dogging us. There were times on stage—there was one show in Charlotte where it was just so heavy. I’m holding back tears onstage, and Jerry would start crying onstage too a lot at that point, and a lot of times we would just look at each other when we were singing the stuff because it was the only way... it was heavy. I can’t quantify it really in words."
http://www.popmatters.com/feature/comes-with-the-fall-030925/
Cantrell cancelled the show that he was scheduled to perform at Livestock Festival in Zephyrhills, Florida on April 28, 2002 in order to attend Staley's funeral in Seattle.
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/neurotica-to-replace-jerry-cantrell-at-florida-s-livestock/
Asked about Staley's death in an interview with MTV News in July 2002, Cantrell said: "It's something I'm still dealing with, and I still think like he's here. I miss him tremendously. I love him and have to move on. I'll remember him and respect the memories of what we did together and just enjoy life... and that's all I'll say about it."
http://www.mtv.com/news/1455888/jerry-cantrell-missing-lost-friend-moving-on-with-trip/
