Layne Staley & Mike Starr estates sell music rights to Alice in Chains songs

Layne Staley & Mike Starr in 1992; Ebet Roberts/Redferns

The estates of late Alice in Chains members Layne Staley and Mike Starr have sold their music rights to the music publishing company, Primary Wave.

According to a press release, Primary Wave now owns “a stake in [Staley and Starr’s] music publishing catalog, as well as master royalty income stream.” The deal includes royalties to AiC classics including “Man in a Box,” “Would?” and “Rooster.”

In a statement, Primary Wave Publishing Partner David Weitzman says, “Primary Wave is pleased to partner with the estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr to honor their musical legacies as part of the classic era lineup of Alice in Chains, who created the amazing songs and records that comprise the albums Dirt and Facelift, and the acoustic EPs, Jar of Flies and Sap.”

“These projects represent the greatest works from one of the best artists of the iconic ’90s Seattle-based grunge era,” Weitzman adds.

Both Staley and Starr were original members of Alice in Chains. Frontman Stayley died in 2002, while bassist Starr, who left AiC in 1993, passed in 2011.

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