Mike Starr (musician)

This article is about the American bass guitarist. For the Scottish rock singer, see Mike Starrs. For the American rock singer, see Michael Starr (singer).

Mike Starr
Grainy, black-and-white image of Caucasian, long-haired male looking directly into camera
Starr in 1988
Background information
Birth nameMichael Christopher Starr
Born(1966-04-04)April 4, 1966
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
DiedMarch 8, 2011(2011-03-08) (aged 44)
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Genres
OccupationBassist
Years active
  • 1983–1993
  • 2010–2011
Formerly of

Michael Christopher Starr (April 4, 1966 – March 8, 2011)[1][2] was an American musician best known as the original bassist for the rock band Alice in Chains, with which he played from the band's formation in 1987 until January 1993.[3] He was also a member of Sato, Gypsy Rose, Sun Red Sun, and Days of the New.

Starr had a long history of substance abuse, including addictions to both heroin and synthetic opioids. In 2011, he died of a prescription drug overdose at the age of 44.

  1. ^ David De Sola (August 4, 2015). Alice in Chains: The Untold Story. Thomas Dunne Books. p. 63. ISBN 9781466848399.
  2. ^ "Mike Starr: Bassist and self-destructive founder-member of the Seattle band Alice In Chains". The Independent. March 12, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Prato, Greg. "Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved July 7, 2010.