Shadows of Seattle
In the early half of the 1990s, Seattle was the epicenter of a music revolution: Grunge. This dark, contemplative metal vaulted the vacuous, saccharine pop and sex-obsessed hair bands off the charts. Grunge was hard rock for the philospoher, lyrical reality accompanied by unapologetically aggressive melodies. It tackled the alienation of a generation, allowing it to thrash, mosh and
scream out its catharsis.
But Seattle has its demons.
A disproportionate number of Seattle artists have died prematurely - some violently; many succumbed to heroin. Almost half died in their twenties, between 1990 - 1994. But the grasp of Seattle's darkness lingers long and far. Listed below are sixteen
musicians, in chronological order, who fell under the shadow of Seattle.
Andrew Wood
Andrew Wood
Andrew Wood was the lead singer of Malfunkshun and later, Mother Love Bone. He was also the roommate of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden). On 16 March 1990, Wood was found comatose by his girlfriend. He had overdosed on heroin. Three days later, he was taken off life support. Wood was 24. Chris Cornell and two members of Mother Love Bone (Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard) formed a tribute band to Wood called Temple of the Dog. The group also included Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder and Matt Cameron (Soundgarden's drummmer). After releasing an eponymous album, Cornell and Cameron returned to Soundgarden and the remaining members of Temple of the Dog would become Pearl Jam. Mother Love Bone: "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns," "Bone China," "Stardog Champion"
Stefanie Sargent
Stefanie Sargent was the guitarist for 7 Year Bitch, an all-female band from Seattle's early-'90s grunge scene. Sargent had been sober for eight months, but was found dead in her apartment on 28 June 28 1992. She had ingested alcohol and heroin at a party, and upon returning home, passed out on her back. She vomited, and failing to wake up, asphyxiated. She was 24. Sargent died while 7 Year Bitch was recording their first full album, Sick 'Em. When it was released, the band dedicated the album to Sargent. 7 Year Bitch's second album, ¡Viva Zapata! is a tribute to both Sargent and The Gits' lead singer Mia Zapata. (See next entry.) From Sick 'Em: "Tired of Nothing," "You Smell Lonely," "Dead Men Don't Rape"
Mia Zapata
Mia Zapata
Mia Zapata was the singer for The Gits, a seminal Seattle Grunge band. On 7 July 1993, she was attacked: beaten, raped, and strangled. She was 27. Zapata was found without identification; she was identified by the medical examiner, who was a fan of the Gits recognized her. According to the medical examiner,
if she had not been strangled she would have died from the internal injuries suffered from the beating. After her murder,
friends formed Home Alive, a self-defense group. Zapata's case was aired on the nationally broadcast television program,
"Unsolved Mysteries." It wasn't until 2004 that Jesus C. Mezquia was identified as her killer based on DNA evidence - investigators had kept saliva from bite marks on Zapata's body. Mezquia was sentenced to 36 years in prison. (He died in 2021.) Albums by the Gits: Frenching the Bully and Enter: The Conquering Chicken.
Kurt Cobain
*Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was the lead singer/guitarist for rock music iconoclasts and Grunge pioneers,
Nirvana. Cobain had been in rehab for his chronic heroin addiction, but he ran off. His body was discovered by an electrician three days after his death in the room above his garage. On 5 April 1994, Cobain had shot up heroin just prior to shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. The musician suffered from stomach problems,
possible depression/bipolar disorder, and drug addiction. He had previously attempted suicide in March of 1994, overdosing on Rohypnol. He was 27 when he took his life. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the greatest guitarists of all time (ranking #12). Nirvana was inducted into
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2021, the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation confirmed that Cobain's childhood home in Aberdeen would be included on the Heritage Register, and that it would be accessible to visitors. Visit the Kurt
Cobain Tribute for artist information, photos, his suicide note, and a detailed account of the events leading up to
his death. You can also learn about Cobain's connection to the Curse of Buddy Holly. "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are," "Lithium," "In Bloom",
"Heart-Shaped Box," "All Apologies," "About a Girl"
Kristen Pfaff
Kristen Pfaff was the bassist for Minneapolis-based Janitor Joe, and then Seattle-based Hole (featuring Kurt Cobain's wife, Courtney Love). She performed on Hole's album,
Live Through This. Pfaff died of a heroin overdose on 16 June 1994 - the same day she planned on leaving Seattle to escape the city's pervasive drug culture. She was 27. Pfaff was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1994. (Pfaff was born in Buffalo, NY and settled
in Minneapolis, MN during college.) The University of Minnesota's radio station, KUOM, started a yearly $1,000 Memorial Scholarship in her name, for
"individuals active in the arts in the pursuit of their educational goals." A portion of the proceeds from Hole's album sales have gone to the Kristen Pfaff
Memorial Fund. While attending the University of Minnesota, Pfaff majored in women's studies and worked as a rape counselor. From Live Through This: "Miss World," "Doll Parts," "Violet"
John Baker Saunders
John Baker Saunders was a blue bassist who met guitarist Mike McCready (Temple of the Dog, Pearl Jam) in rehab. They formed a group with Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), which they called The Gacy Bunch. The name was later changed to Mad Season. Saunders died of a heroin overdose on 15 January 1999. He was 44. "River of Deceit," "Above," "Wake Up"
Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Staley was the lead singer of Alice in Chains and Mad Season. His nasal singing style made him the most sinister of the Grunge vocalists. He was found dead in his apartment,
his body undiscovered for two weeks. The six-foot-tall singer weighed only 86 pounds when discovered. His body was partially decomposed; medical examiners had to identify Staley by his dental records. He had died on 5 April 2002, the same date that Kurt Cobain took
his life in 1994. Staley had died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine. He was 34. Mike Starr, former bassist for AIC, was the last known person to see Staley
alive; he spent time with the singer the day before he died. Starr stated that Staley was extremely ill, but would
not call 911. The two argued and Starr stormed off with Staley calling after him, "Not like this, don't leave like
this." Starr regretted not calling 911 to save his friend's life and blamed himself for
Staley's death. AIC had the heaviest sound of the early '90s Grunge
movement, with songs like "Would?", "Rooster", "Them Bones", "No Excuses", "Down in a Hole", "Got Me Wrong", and "Angry Chair".
Ben McMillan
Ben McMillan was the singer for Skin Yard, a Seattle band who were contemporaries of Soundgarden and Screaming Trees. (Soundgarden's long-time drummer, Matt Cameron, was previously the drummer for Skin Yard.) Skin Yard contributed two songs to the Deep Six compilation, which was the first showcase of Grunge music. Released in 1986, it also featured Soundgarden, Melvins, Malfunkshun, U-Men and Green River. Skin Yard released five albums before breaking up. McMillan died from diabetes in 2008. He was 46. "Bleed," "Stranger," "Start at the Top"
Mike Starr
Mike Starr was the bassist for Grunge icons, Alice in
Chains. He was replaced in the group in 1993 after the release of the album, Dirt, because of his addiction
to heroin. In February 2011, he was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance in Salt Lake
City, Utah. On 8 March 2011, he was found dead in a Salt Lake City home of a suspected overdose. (Some sources site a prescription drug overdose.) He was 44.
In 2010, Starr appeared on the television series, Celebrity
Rehab for heroin addiction. He remembered Alice in Chains lead singer, Layne Staley, and
his death in 2002. Starr was the last known person to see Staley
alive; he spent time with the singer the day before his death. He stated that Staley was extremely ill, but would
not call 911. The two argued and Starr stormed off with Staley calling after him, "Not like this, don't leave like
this." Starr regretted not calling 911 to save his friend's life and blamed himself for
Staley's death. AIC had the heaviest sound of the early '90s Grunge
movement, with songs like "Would?", "Rooster", "Them Bones", "No Excuses", "Down in a Hole", "Got Me Wrong", and "Angry Chair".
Lisa Fay Beatty
Lisa Fay Beatty was sound engineer for bands The Gits, 7 Year Bitch, and Smoochknob. She was also another (the final) guitarist for 7 Year Bitch. (See Stefanie Sargent, above.)
On 25 November 2011, Beatty was killed in a motorcycle accident when she collided with a car. She was pronouned dead at the scene; she was 47. 7 Year Bitch: "Tired of Nothing," "You Smell Lonely," "Dead Men Don't Rape"
Roy Koutsky
Roy Koutsky was the original drummer for Seattle punk outfit, L7. The group had minor hits (post-Koutsky) with 1992's "Pretend We're Dead" and 1994's "Andre". Koutsky's cause of death is unknown. He "passed away in his home" on 15 February 2016. He was 53.
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell was the lead singer of Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Audioslave. He was a Grunge/Rock legend. On 18 May 2017, after finishing a Soundgarden show in Detroit, Cornell returned to his hotel room and hanged himself. The only drugs in his system were prescription, at therapeutic doses. His death was ruled a suicide. Cornell was 52. Soundgarden won two Grammy Awards and has been nominated once for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With Soundgarden: "Slaves and Bulldozers," "Rusty Cage,"
"Spoonman," "Black Hole Sun," "Pretty Noose, "Burden in My Hand." With Audioslave: "Cochise," "Like A Stone," "Doesn't Remind Me"
Shawn Smith
Shawn Smith was a singer and songwriter who had a solo career and performed with several Seattle bands, including Brad (with Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard), Satchel, Pigeonhed, and The Twilight Singers. In 1999, the British techno group, Lo Fidelity Allstars, remixed and released the Pigeonhed song, "Battle Flag". The song reached #6 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. On 3 April 2019, Smith died from a torn aorta and hypertension. He was 53. Smith's solo albums include Let It All Begin, Live at the Point, and Shield of Thorns.
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan was the lead singer of the Seattle Grunge group, Screaming Trees, who
gained notoriety when their song, "Nearly Lost You", appeared on the Singles movie soundtrack. Lanegan was also a member
of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He died of undisclosed causes on 22 February 2022. He was 57.
Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins was the drummer for Seattle-based Foo Fighters, the creation of former Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl, after Kurt Cobain's suicide. Hawkins had previously been the touring drummer for Alanis Morissette and Sass Jordan. Foo Fighters were touring South America when Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia on 25 March 2022. He died of multiple drug toxicity. At the time of his death, opioids, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, and THC were found in his system. Hawkins was 50. Foo Fighters have won 15 Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album four times. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. "This is a Call," "Big Me," "Everlong," "Learn to Fly," "Monkey Wrench"
Van Connor
Van Connor was the bassist for Screaming Trees. In 2021, after emergency stomach surgery, Connor fell into a coma. He then contracted COVID-19, exacerbating his
health issues. On 18 January 2023, he died of pneumonia. He was 55. Screaming Trees reached their peak of popularity when their single, "Nearly Lost You", appeared
on the Singles movie soundtrack.