Alice in Chains founding bassist Mike Starr dies at 44

Mike Starr, who played bass on early Alice in Chains records, was found dead at a Salt Lake City home in Utah. He was 44.

Salt Lake City police spokesman Shawn Josephson confirmed that an autopsy with full toxicology testing had been ordered, though the circumstances of the death were not disclosed.

Starr had been arrested the previous month on a controlled substance charge. Officers reportedly found prescription painkillers and a second drug on him at that time.

Alice in Chains rose to prominence in Seattle during the 1990s, part of the same scene that produced Nirvana and Pearl Jam, though the group went through extended periods of inactivity. Starr had left the band during that decade, and front man Layne Staley, who struggled with drug addiction, died in 2002.

Fans posted tributes on Starr's website after his death was reported.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in March 2011, in its own words.