Dead Addict Of The Day.

Today's dead addict is Layne Staley, lead singer of Alice In Chains. Like all the kickass guys of the Seattle grunge heyday, Staley developed a spectacular heroin problem. Like many of the dead addicts, it was a speedball that got him.

Not long ago, my husband and I were talking about drugs, and he mentioned doing speedballs. "Lots of times!" he told me, eagerly. Part of me wanted to beat him, and part of me wanted to cry. Thinking of how close he could have been to death...I can't imagine what it would have been like. I can't think about it. I can't stop thinking about it.

Layne Staley was found by his mother and stepfather, his body decomposing amongst an array of drug paraphernalia.

His mother and a drug counselor started the Layne Staley Fund after his death. It's a non-profit organization to raise money for drug treatment for the Seattle music community.