Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966, Tacoma, Washington) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the rock band Alice in Chains, as guitarist and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and was part of Alice in Chains' distinctive harmonizing dual-vocal style. He currently resides in Los Angeles and spends time on his family ranch in Oklahoma.

His biggest musical influences include Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Black Sabbath, and Queensrÿche.

Alice in Chains

Jerry began playing the guitar at around 13 years of age. Over the next few years he performed with numerous small bands in Seattle. In one of these small bands he met future Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr who in turn introduced him to Sean Kinney, who at the time was dating Starr's sister Melinda. In 1987 while attending a party he met future lead vocalist Layne Staley who at the time was in a glam band called Alice N' Chains. After much discussion shortly after the encounter both Jerry and Layne agreed to start a band together thus the beginning of Alice in Chains. Cantrell would serve in Alice in Chains as the lead guitarist, co-lyricist, and backup vocalist until the group's near-permanent hiatus in the late-1990s due to lead singer Layne Staley's drug problems.

Since Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley's death, the band has reformed with its surviving members. Beginning in 2005, Cantrell has joined Alice in Chains in a number of performances featuring singers such as Maynard James Keenan, Mark Lanegan, James Hetfield, Phil Anselmo, and William DuVall. Although he acknowledges the benefits of working as a solo artist, Cantrell has expressed his happiness with being back in the band culture.

Solo career

Cantrell's career outside Alice in Chains has consisted of three solo albums, as well as many appearances with other musicians and on film soundtracks.

Solo albums

Following his tenure with Alice in Chains, Cantrell released the song "Leave Me Alone", featured on "The Cable Guy" soundtrack in 1996 featuring Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Les Claypool of Primus. The Boggy Depot album contains several odd time signatures, something Cantrell is well known for.

In June 2002 Cantrell issued his second album Degradation Trip with Ozzy Osbourne's then live rhythm section, Faith No More's Mike Bordin (drums) and Robert Trujillo (bass); it was followed in November of that year by a re-release as a double album on the same label, featuring eleven additional tracks. The release of Degradation Trip was soon after Staley's death, and the album is dedicated to him. The Degradation Trip song "She Was My Girl" was included on the soundtrack for the 2002 movie Spider-Man.

He said of the experience of writing Degradation Trip, "In '98, I locked myself in my house, went out of my mind and wrote 25 songs. I rarely bathed during that period of writing, I sent out for food, I didn't really venture out of my house in three or four months. It was a hell of an experience. The album is an overview of birth to now."

He is rumored to have been working on his third full solo album for quite some time, and this album was to have been released in 2006, but subsequent work with the revamped Alice in Chains may have stalled the release of that record.

Collaborations

Cantrell has appeared as guest guitarist on several albums and projects, including the Danzig album "Blackacidevil" and the Metallica album Garage Inc. He also guested on Circus of Power's album Magic & Madness in 1993 for the song "Heaven 'N Hell". In early 2004, Jerry Cantrell collaborated with The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy to form the rock supergroup, Cardboard Vampyres. The group performed mostly cover songs at several venues across the nation (but mostly the west coast), and continues to exist, though no formal albums have been released.

In film

Cantrell is featured in the movie Singles along with the rest of Alice in Chains performing the songs "It Ain't Like That" and "Would?". He is also featured as an actor in the movie Jerry Maguire. He also wrote a song "Leave Me Alone" for the 1996 dark comedy The Cable Guy, which can be found on that movie's soundtrack. Cantrell returned to the movie scene in 2004 to write, with the newly-formed metal band Damageplan, the song "Ashes to Ashes" for the movie The Punisher. That song can be found on that movie's soundtrack, and as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the Damageplan album New Found Power. He also appears briefly with Warren Haynes in the documentary "Rising Low" which documents the work of the band Gov't Mule following the death of bassist Alan Woody.

Equipment

Cantrell is known to prefer G&L and Dean Guitars, as well as Gibson Les Pauls. He is currently working with Dean to design a signature model that will be based on his Les Pauls. Recently, he has been using two prototype Deans on tour.

He is also said to be working on a signature amp with Bogner, whose amps he has used for a long time. His collection includes the extremely rare Fish Pre-amp responsible for many of the famous Alice in Chains sounds, as well as the Shiva and Ecstasy models. He also has a Peavey 5150 head that was given to him by Eddie Van Halen.

Cantrell recorded all of the demo tracks for his album Degradation Trip at his Seattle home using a four-track recorder and his white Les Paul.

Recognition

In July of 2006, British hard rock magazine Metal Hammer awarded Cantrell the title of Riff Lord, at its annual Golden Gods Awards show, held last year at the London Astoria. He was apparently thrilled at winning the title, over several famous artists such as Slash, James Hetfield, and Jimmy Page.

Personal life

Cantrell's father Jerry Sr is a combat veteran from Vietnam. He was the main subject in the song "Rooster" which Cantrell wrote as a tribute to his father. His mother Gloria died in 1990, the very same year that his close friend Andrew Wood (of Mother Love Bone) died, leading Jerry to pen the song "Would?" for AIC's second album Dirt in Wood's memory. He also dedicated AIC's debut album Facelift to his late mother. An ex-girlfriend of Jerry's has been the main subject of many Alice in Chains songs such as "Put You Down", "Rain When I Die", and "Grind".

Discography

With Alice in Chains

• We Die Young (1990)
• Facelift (1990)
• Sap (1992)
• Dirt (1992)
• Jar of Flies (1994)
• Alice in Chains (1995)
• Unplugged (1996)
• Best of the Box (1999)
• Music Bank (1999)
• Live (2000)
• Greatest Hits (2001)
• The Essential Alice in Chains (2006)
• TBA (2007/2008)

Solo

• The Cable Guy Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — song "Leave Me Alone" (1996)
• Boggy Depot (April 1998)
• Degradation Trip (June 2002)
• Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (November 2002)
• The Punisher Soundtrack — song "Ashes to Ashes" w/ Damageplan (also featured on Japan version of Damageplan album New Found Power (2004)

With Ozzy Osbourne

• Under Cover (2005)

References

External links

• Official site
• Roadrunner Records - Jerry Cantrell

Alice in Chains1966 birthsLiving peopleAmerican guitaristsAmerican male singersAlice in Chains membersGrunge musiciansPeople from TacomaWashington musiciansAmerican rock musiciansAmerican rock guitaristsAmerican rock singersThe Ozzy Osbourne Band members

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