Jerry Cantrell

Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell playing in December 2006 Background information Born March 18, 1966(1966-03-18) (age 42)
Tacoma, Washington Genre(s)Heavy metal, grunge, Alternative metalOccupation(s) Musician, Actor, Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist Instrument(s)Vocals, GuitarYears active 1987 - present Label(s)Roadrunner RecordsAssociated acts Alice in Chains, Ozzy Osbourne, Cardboard Vampyres Website JerryCantrell.comNotable instrument(s) G&L Rampage, G&L ASAT Special
Gibson Les Paul
Guild Acoustic

Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966, Tacoma, Washington) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge band Alice in Chains, as guitarist and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and was part of Alice in Chains' distinctive harmonizing dual-vocal style. He currently resides in Los Angeles and spends time on his family ranch in Oklahoma.

His biggest musical influences include Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Black Sabbath, Queensrÿche, and Kiss.

1 Alice in Chains
2 Solo career
3 Equipment
4 Recognition
5 Personal life
6 Discography
7 References
8 External links

Alice in Chains

Jerry Cantrell would serve in Alice in Chains as the lead guitarist, co-lyricist, and vocalist until the group's near-permanent hiatus in the late 1990s due to lead singer Layne Staley's drug problems.[1]

Since Staley's death in 2002, the band has reformed with its surviving members. Beginning in 2005, Cantrell has joined Alice in Chains in a number of performances featuring singers such as Maynard James Keenan, Mark Lanegan, James Hetfield, Phil Anselmo, and William DuVall. Although he acknowledges the benefits of working as a solo artist, Cantrell has expressed his happiness with being back in the band culture.[1]

Solo career

Cantrell's career outside Alice in Chains has consisted of three solo albums, as well as many appearances with other musicians and on film soundtracks.

Solo albums

Following his tenure with Alice in Chains, Cantrell released the song "Leave Me Alone," featured on the Cable Guy soundtrack in 1996 featuring Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Les Claypool of Primus. Boggy Depot contains several odd time signatures, something Cantrell is well known for.[2]

In June 2002, Cantrell issued his second album Degradation Trip with Ozzy Osbourne's then live rhythm section, Faith No More's Mike Bordin (drums) and Robert Trujillo (bass); it was followed in November of that year by a re-release as a double album on the same label, featuring eleven additional tracks. The release of Degradation Trip was soon after Staley's death, and the album is dedicated to him. The "She Was My Girl" was also included on the soundtrack for the 2002 film Spider-Man.

Cantrell said of the experience of writing Degradation Trip:

"In '98, I locked myself in my house, went out of my mind and wrote 25 songs. I rarely bathed during that period of writing; I sent out for food, I didn't really venture out of my house in three or four months. It was a hell of an experience. The album is an overview of birth to now."[3]

He is rumoured to have been working on his third full solo album for quite some time, and this album was to have been released in 2006, but subsequent work with the revamped Alice in Chains may have stalled the release of that record.

Collaborations

Cantrell has appeared as guest guitarist on several albums and projects, including the Danzig album "Blackacidevil" and the Metallica album Garage Inc. He also guested on Circus of Power's album Magic & Madness in 1993 for the song "Heaven 'N Hell". In early 2004, Jerry Cantrell collaborated with The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy to form the rock supergroup, Cardboard Vampyres. The group performed mostly cover songs at several venues across the nation (but mostly the west coast), and continues to exist, though no formal albums have been released.

In 2002, Cantrell played a series of summer dates with alternative rock band Nickelback. The tour kicked off May 13th, 2002. Cantrell can be seen playing "It Ain't Like That" with the band on their first DVD release, Live at Home. Cantrell was also asked by Nickelback's frontman, Chad Kroeger, to contribute to the song "Hero" for the 2002 film, Spider-Man. Cantrell was unable to attend the recording session and was replaced by Saliva's Josey Scott.

In film

Cantrell is featured in the movie Singles along with the rest of Alice in Chains performing the songs "It Ain't Like That" and "Would?". He is also featured as an actor in the movie Jerry Maguire. He also wrote a song "Leave Me Alone" for the 1996 dark comedy The Cable Guy, which can be found on that movie's soundtrack. Cantrell returned to the movie scene in 2004 to write, with the newly-formed metal band Damageplan, the song "Ashes to Ashes" for the movie The Punisher. That song can be found on that movie's soundtrack, and as a bonus track on the Japanese version of the Damageplan album New Found Power. He also appears briefly with Warren Haynes in the documentary "Rising Low" which documents the work of the band Gov't Mule following the death of bassist Alan Woody.

Equipment

Onstage in 2006

Cantrell is known to prefer G&L and Dean Guitars, as well as Gibson Les Pauls. He is currently working with Dean to design a signature model that will be based on his Les Pauls. Recently, he has been using two prototype Deans on tour.

He is also said to be working on a signature amp with Bogner,[4] whose amps he has used for a long time. His collection includes the extremely rare Fish Pre-amp responsible for many of the famous Alice in Chains sounds, as well as the Shiva and Ecstasy models. He also has a Peavey 5150 head that was given to him by Eddie Van Halen.

Cantrell recorded all of the demo tracks for his album Degradation Trip at his Seattle home using a four-track recorder and his white Les Paul.[3]

Recognition

In July of 2006, British hard rock magazine Metal Hammer awarded Cantrell the title of Riff Lord, at its annual Golden Gods Awards show, held last year at the London Astoria. He was apparently thrilled at winning the title, over several famous artists such as Slash, James Hetfield, and Jimmy Page.[5]

Personal life

Cantrell's father, Jerry Sr., is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He was the main subject in the song "Rooster" which Cantrell wrote as a tribute to his father. His mother Gloria died in 1990, the very same year that his close friend Andrew Wood (of Mother Love Bone) died, leading Jerry to pen the song "Would?" for AIC's second album Dirt in Wood's memory. He also dedicated AIC's debut album Facelift to his late mother. An ex-girlfriend of Cantrell's has been the main subject of many Alice in Chains songs written by Cantrell.

Cantrell's Oklahoma ranch was featured on the 34th episode of MTV Cribs.

Discography

With Alice in Chains

We Die Young (1990)
Facelift (1990)
Sap (1992)
Dirt (1992)
Jar of Flies (1994)
Alice in Chains (1995)
Unplugged (1996)
Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999)
Music Bank (1999)
Live (2000)
Greatest Hits (2001)
The Essential Alice in Chains (2006)
TBA (2008)

Solo

The Cable Guy Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — song "Leave Me Alone" (1996)
Boggy Depot (April 1998)
Degradation Trip (June 2002)
Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (November 2002)
The Punisher Soundtrack — song "Ashes to Ashes" w/ Damageplan (also featured on Japan version of Damageplan album New Found Power (2004)

With Ozzy Osbourne

Under Cover (2005)

References

^ a b McLennan, Scott. "Alice in Chains regroups after its leader's death", Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 2006-08-06.
^ Weingarten, Marc (June 1998). "Unchained". Guitar World.
^ a b Jerry Cantrell biography. Roadrunner Records. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
^ Jerry's Gear. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
^ Golden Gods Awards Winners. Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.