Michael Christopher “Mike” Starr (April 4, 1966– March 8, 2011) was an American musician, best known as the first bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played in the group’s creation in 1987 until 1993.
In 1983, Starr formed the heavy metal band SATO, his first group of note. Starr and Cantrell left Gypsy Rose and the both of them started working collectively to form a brand new group. Subsequently the trio started staging what Cantrell and Kinney after said were fraudulent auditions to be able to coax Staley into joining their group. Eventually, Staley leave the other groups he was performing with at that time and joined their group too. This group got interest in the Seattle region playing under several different monikers before they finally settled on the name Alice in Chains, which they’d chosen from Staley’s previous group Alice N’ Chains. Starr was with the group for the Facelift and Dirt records as well as the Sap EP. He was most frequently seen playing several versions of a Spector NS2 bass guitar through an Ampeg SVT all-tube head and Ampeg 8×10″ loudspeaker cabinets. Starr departed the group while it was touring behind the record Dirt. According to former vocalist Layne Staley, in a Rolling Stone article from February 1994, Starr’s deviation from Alice in Chains came from “only a difference in precedence. We desired to continue extreme touring and press, Mike was able to go home.” Starr, however, mentioned on an episode of Celebrity Rehab he was kicked from the group because of his budding drug addiction. Starr after was hired to play bass guitar for the group Sun Red Sun, which featured Ray Gillen and Bobby Rondinelli, both former members of Black Sabbath. The job was cut short by Gillen’s passing in 1993.
March 8, 2011, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Place Of Birth
Flushing
Height
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Profession
Actor, Voice Actor
Education
Hofstra University
Nationality
United States of America
Spouse
Joanne Starr
Children
Preston Starr
Siblings
Melinda Starr
Nicknames
Michael Starr , Michael "Mike" Starr , Mike
Music Groups
Alice in Chains (1987 – 1992), Days of the New (2010 – 2011), Sun Red Sun, Alice Mudgarden
Movies
Dumb and Dumber, Goodfellas, The Bodyguard, The Black Dahlia, Uncle Buck, Mad Dog and Glory, Miller's Crossing, Jersey Girl, The Last Dragon, Ed Wood, On Deadly Ground, The Ice Harvest, Chicago Overcoat, Funny Farm, Radio Days, I Hate Valentine's Day, Summer of Sam, Cash, Hoodlum, Snake Eyes, The Na...
TV Shows
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House
Star Sign
Leo
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Trademark
1
Tough, bullying characters.
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Quote
1
I get a lot of calls for New York-oriented things, mob parts, cop roles. I think they stereotype me by size; that's a bit of a pitfall. Some people bring me in for the big gentle guy or these killers. It's hard to figure out what they think of me.
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Fact
1
Has two daughters and a son.
2
He worked as a bouncer and bartender before landing a small part in Cruising (1980) in 1980.
3
Was born in Flushing, Queens to a retail employee mother and a meatpacker father.
$1.5 Million
