Sean Kinney American musician, drummer for Alice In Chains Date of Birth: 27.05.1966 Country: USA

Biography of Sean Kinney

Sean Kinney, the drummer of the legendary and rather infamous band "Alice in Chains," was born in Seattle, Washington. His interest in music manifested at the age of three when he enthusiastically played drums alongside his musical grandfather. Within a couple of years, he acquired his first drum set. At the age of nine, he began playing drums in his grandfather's band, "Cross Cats," where knowledgeable and appreciative rock-n-roll enthusiasts performed.

Later, Sean's girlfriend introduced him to her brother, bass guitarist Mike Starr, who brought him into the band "Alice in Chains." In 1987, Sean Kinney started pounding the drums as a member of the then-emerging band. He would become the sole and unwavering drummer of "Alice in Chains." After a few rehearsals together, the young band began performing in small clubs in Seattle. This was followed by numerous concert tours across the United States, resulting in a very promising contract with the label "Columbia." Their debut album "Facelift" received favorable reviews from the press, although the popularity of "Alice in Chains" grew strangely slowly. However, their breakthrough eventually happened. Concerts and opening performances for bands such as "Van Halen," "Megadeth," "Iggy Pop," and "Slayer" ultimately influenced the band's destiny. The album "Facelift," initially unnoticed, finally entered the charts and eventually went gold. The song "Man in the Box" was nominated for a Grammy.

In the mid-1990s, Sean Kinney simultaneously worked with Willie Nelson's band and the group "Spys4Darwin" with Vinny Dombrowski. During this time, "Alice in Chains" frontman Layne Staley encountered significant drug problems that greatly hindered the band's creativity and progress. The other members of "Alice in Chains" also became involved with drugs in one way or another. Sean Kinney was not exempt from this. The press immediately seized upon the fact that the band had become addicts, and this topic greatly interested "Alice in Chains" fans for some time. However, the band members were not particularly concerned about it.

"Yes, we took drugs," Sean Kinney says reflectively. "We did it to the fullest. We simply didn't care what people said about it. I'm not complaining. But people never talk about the music; they're always interested in something dark. They constantly talk about this crap..." The history of "Alice in Chains" has two parallel storylines. The first is the story of a fantastic rise and real success, while the second is about drugs and black depression. Soon, there were tour cancellations and concert disruptions. From the late 1990s until the beginning of the new millennium, "Alice in Chains" was constantly on the verge of breaking up. In 2002, the band's leader and frontman, Layne Staley, died from a drug overdose.

Several years after this tragedy, Sean Kinney played drums in various bands but never fully settled into any particular group. In 2005, the remaining members of "Alice in Chains" regrouped. Despite fans' initial hesitations to accept the new lineup, the musicians rehearsed and continued their concert activities. In 2006 and 2009, the band released albums.