Jerry Cantrell Of Alice In Chains Slams Dr. Drew’s Celeb Rehab
During an interview with an Atlanta radio station, Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell spoke of his former band mate Mike Starr and of VH1′s Celebrity Rehab. Let’s just say, it wasn’t too complimentary. Click more for the details.
In 2002, Layne Staley, Alice In Chains’ original lead singer, died of drug- related causes. It was clear to many that Starr was heading down the same dreary path as the late singer and when he turned to Dr. Drew and VH1. Although denouncing Celebrity Rehab, Cantrell says “Addiction is no joke, and we know that first hand. We lost a good friend of ours to that. Mike deserves a better life.”
Starr, the first bass player for Alice in Chains, played with the band from 1987 to 1993. He played on the band’s first two albums, “Facelift” and “Dirt,” but left in the middle of the “Dirt” tour. By late 1993, Mike Inez replaced Starr and is still with the band today.
Cantrell went on to say, ”That particular show, I think it’s a real travesty and a shame to put people in a really vulnerable situation like that and make it entertainment for people to see… It’s just kind of disgusting to me
“
It's just kind of disgusting to me
”
actually. It’s nothing I back.”
Cantrell continues to say that despite his negative views of VH1′s Celeb Rehab, “I totally back Mike and I back his efforts to get clean and remain somebody that I and the band really care about — he’s a friend of ours, you know, and we wish him the best.”
Starr’s appearance on Celebrity Rehab speaking of Layne Staley’s death:
Sadie Thompson | Phone-Op
Psyberspace-Superstar
March 29, 2010 4:23 pm
” WELL FU Jerry Cantrell YOU IGNORANT SLUT !
There are many viewers who admire and respect “Celebrity Rehab with D℞☤Drew” and “Sober House with D℞☤Drew”
and D℞☤Drew’s efforts to educate and shine light on a TRAGIC situation where people are dying and people are keeping quiet about and enabling problems/medical conditions that are TREATABLE like the scourge of addiction to drugs and alcohol.Viewers are being Educated to the horrors of sacrificing their life on the alter of “SEXNDRUGS&ROCKNROLL”. Viewers are are being educated to recognize the symptoms and inspired to open up ,ask for help ,follow direction by addiction experts in treatment and then to have hope again of leading a better SOBER LIFE!!
cablintre@yahoo.com
April 7, 2010 12:46 pm
how can be jerry an ignorant if the guy itself suffered the layne’s process as a close friend?, he won’t wind up with something that isn’t true, do you really think you would feel confortable if someone close to you appears in a show revealing his own personal problems to an audience who don’t give a s. about them?, jerry itself is a model to follow.. he is one of the coolest guys you can know.. …
I don’t mind about your slutty openning phrase… moron.
catfan38
March 10, 2011 7:44 pm
and you actually think its right to exploit these people on national t.v.? come on man, thats all for money for the good dr. Be real, people can overcome addiction with proper rehab, not a couple months of making money for dr. drew and then getting sent to the streets. these people need ongoing help , not the few weeks dr. drew gives them then turns them loose after he is done using them, moron.
charlene
March 11, 2011 3:55 pm
Im truly amazed! No one tied up mike or anyone else n made them go on the show. If jerry considered mike a friend n someone he cared about. wher the hell was he? Mike had deep emotional problems n drugs was his release. I love jerry cantrell but disagree completely with his statement. I happen to know for a fact he was kicked outa the band so again if he cated so much. That wouldnt have happened! Its sad i will miss mike altho he had serious problems n lost his way he was one of the best bassiest n a hell of a nice guy. However he chose to get clean at least he tried. and i know how hard laynes death was for him n he never recovered from that lost. So people can bash a show or a dr who tried to help but in the end his so called friends were the ones who let him down n shoulda picked him back up now he is gone n its easy for this one or that one to say whatever. all i know is he was a great guy who was so talented i will miss him an am grateful for havin known him godspeed mike!
Mike S
June 27, 2011 12:02 pm
My point Exactly! Couldn’t agree with you more.
catfan38
March 10, 2011 7:45 pm
yeah, and you are just a dumbass….
Mike S
June 27, 2011 12:15 pm
I’m replying to catfan and agree with ur point
Mike S
June 27, 2011 12:11 pm
Dude, you are the moronic fool if you think that being on Executive Producer Drew Pinsky’s shows “Helped” Mike Starr.
Check out the Episode where the camera crew DRIVE Mike Starr around LA to get drugs, showing at names, etc…yeah, that’s how you help someone with an addiction problem..pfff..wake up & read between the lines to see what Cantrell really was saying!
Jerry, I agree with you 100% on this issue and am happy you had something to say about it. Like you said, “Addiction is Very Serious” and it is, as you know… All The Best!
holli
May 22, 2010 3:09 pm
I’m stuck here because I Applaud very much Dr. Drews work and think the “stars” people look up to re sayong hey I need help..we can see their pin, tears nd struggle and many of us it helps noy to feel so alone .. I also see where Jerry would say that about D℞☤Drew and the show becuse in a sense it is exploiting ddiction, I love Jerry & he is amazingly swwet so for him to have harsh words is not an everyday thing… I do think some ppl go on their for show, but I’ve also seen where peoples openness has helped them and others.. I guess I’m tied on this ..One thing I AM hppy bout is that Mike Starr finally go to see Nancy.. it ws good for both of them and it showed what a wonderful woman Laynes mother is..
Jenna
March 16, 2011 11:46 pm
I have always been a fan of Alice in Chains but never really followed the band. I had MTV news on the day they announced Layne died. It was a shock because I don’t always believe or even pay attention to rumors. I just figured he got married, had kids or maybe went behind the scenes in the music industry like so many others do. After this episode with Mike and Nancey I looked it up on the internet and I swear I couldn’t sleep for a week. To me it’s probably the most saddest story in Rock n Roll history. And when his mother looked mike in the eye and said she forgave him and that Layne would forgive him, I really thought Mike was going to cry. I honestly lost it. FORGIVENESS IS A POWERFUL THING. You don’t read anything negative about Layne Staley, there’s no mention of him being mean spirited or rude or cruel. Just a kind man. It’s pretty obvious he inherited that trait from his mama.
Andrea
August 30, 2010 9:57 pm
you make no damn sense. Jerry has EVERY RIGHT to point fingers at Dr. Drew. That show was for entertainment reasons only. They put those poor people on that show for people to watch and they do not even try to really help them. Yes, Nancy was on the show as well, which was wonderful to see, but at the same time do you really think that that show tried to help them, or was simply seen as entertainment?
james
September 22, 2010 7:13 pm
i’m gonna have to say jerry, i understand your views, and i too am not a fan of reality t.v., because of the mockery it makes of human life. but in this situation i have recently been going through dark problems of my own, and i saw this particular video with mike and nancy, and it really helped open my eyes, and made me cry. i’ve loved your guys’ music since i was a little guy and i think it helps me see how serious this really is.. and my heart goes out to mike..and kudos for mike’s mom and nancy to go on the show and have the courage to help others…god bless all of you. -jimmy 25, warren, ohio
Steve
December 25, 2010 10:50 pm
Mike Starr is a little bitch. Going on celebrity rehab. Layne died like a proud rock singer. You should give it up or join Leif Garrett for a new boy band. Pussy Club
joe
January 5, 2011 10:14 am
they need a drummer. you in?
Jaclyn
March 10, 2011 10:45 am
Hope you’re real proud of yourself for that comment after yesterday’s news. I’m sure all of Mike’s friends and family are just oh-so-proud of him dying alone like Layne did. People like you are a cancer.
Jenna
March 16, 2011 11:25 pm
I guess you could say that, or you could say that Layne gave up and died alone, and that Mike fought till the end. Either way their both DEAD! Leaving families and loved ones heartbroken and grieving 4 the rest of their lives. And do your homework asshole. Towards the end of his life Layne was not a proud rockstar, he was very ashamed of his addiction. Mike was proud of the work he did with Alice in Chains even mentioning them within hours before his death. For god sake he was trying to get clean, don’t be so dam cruel. I don’t think Layne would even approve of you calling Mike names.
kent elmer
April 16, 2011 12:57 pm
dude you so lost.first layne didnt die proud,he was with mike on the day he died,and if someone who knew layne and (probley watched him die) wanted help good for him its to bad he couldnt stay clean,but either way he tryed.layne died alone in his mind and he dropped outta the spotlite so as not to be put on a pedistal and have kids saying well he can do it so can i.i commend my brother for that r.i.p. layne and mike good bless.and for those of you who think that steve has a clue well there is hope for you to.but until you know what its like to die proud then shut up bro. i left my full name for those of you who knows anything about A.I.C.and if not to look me up and tell me i dont know what im talking about.we miss and love you layne and mike now the angels have a singing and bass coach
Dee
May 2, 2011 12:39 pm
Wow….bet you feel real good about yourself now, huh?
Weary
January 6, 2012 7:18 pm
Yeah, you could play tamborine for them and dance around in arseless chaps like the confused whore you are. Why don’t you go to a masturbation website and leave a comment about something you really understand you stupid c*nt.
Heather
January 5, 2011 8:55 pm
I lost a bit of respect for the show and Dr. Drew when they decided to put Tom Sizemore and Heidi Fleiss on the show at the same time. How is that healthy for them? Sure, it was great tv but those are two very damaged people with a volatile past together. I couldn’t watch. I agree with Jerry. Mike deserves a better life and I sure hope that Celebrity Rehab helped him. It was gut-wrenching and scary to watch him and what he went through.
Zak Wylde
March 8, 2011 7:43 pm
Hey Steve and Joe ! Your both F**king Idiots !!!
RAlexander
March 29, 2011 5:00 pm
To the majority…F***OFF!
Glorifying this shit is shameful!
Wilbur K.
March 8, 2011 9:21 pm
“Layne died like a proud rock singer”
Layne died like most addicts in active addiction – ALONE – and living in isolation. By the time his body was found it was mummified. What is there it be proud of about that? There is nothing “pussy” about getting clean and I completely agree with Jerry C. May all beings be free from suffering the and causes of suffering. RIP Mike S.
BG Fan
March 11, 2011 3:11 pm
Jerry has lost a second, former bandmate, and it probably sucks to see but this hasnt hurt his publishing points any, which means double guilt for him. Jerry overcame his addictions, and probly deals with this on a daily basis, basically, in my opinion, Layne and Mike wanted to die deep down, Layne had pneumonia when he OD’d. I loved that band, still do. But there comes a time when you’ve just gotta move on. Space and time don’t grind to a halt just because Earthband get a number one hit.
Jenna
March 16, 2011 11:59 pm
Did he really have pneumonia, why didn’t the camp just say that instead of sayin he had an underlying illness. I know it’s none of the public’s business but if it was me I would sure want the public to know I had pneumonia instead of the aids and hepatitis rumors that are out there.
lucy
March 15, 2011 9:40 am
Celebrity rehab is for entertainment purposes only. These people are really vulnerable and out of work. The show pays them to be on, so of course they are going to say yes. You can not help someone get clean unless they want to. You can try but it’s only going to kill you fro trying so hard. Some pain can not be taken away. Viewers are being educated at the expense of these celebrities. It’s sad. Jerry Cantrell was very appropriate and in good taste with his comment. He did NOT knock Mike. He knocked the show. It’s pathetic. If Dr. Drew wants to help people, he can do it privately, right? BUT, he doesn’t.
Lori
March 16, 2011 8:07 pm
I feel that celebrity rehab is a joke. They had Tiger Woods girlfriend on there and she didnt even have an addiction. Now their having the real housewife of where ever on there. Everyone knows it’s a joke. I don’t agree with reality TV at all. I did watch season 3 of celebrity rehab because I am a fan of several of the cast members including Mike. I think this was the only really honest season to date. It was obvious that the addictions of cast 3 were the real deal. I didn’t watch sober house because they didn’t ask certain people to come back that I thought needed extra treatment. This was when I realized the show was just another fake reality TV show. However, it was good to see a little bit of the real Mike once he sobered up. I believe everything happens for a reason so maybe the show opened some doors for him that otherwise wouldn’t have been opened. I do wonder when the last time was that Jerry spoke to Mike though, if you really care about someone shouldn’t you throw out your pride and give that person a call even if it’s just to say “hey I was thinking about you” or whatever guys say. The worst they could do is shoot you down but at least you would know you tried. I know the guys from Alice have to have some regrets about not talking to Layne before he died. After all, that would only be human. I guess that’s the difference between males and females.
Sofi
May 26, 2011 4:17 pm
Mike probably made just enough money from Celebrity Rehab to pay for his final relapse. Sad.