A Tribute to Layne Staley

A tribute to Layne Staley:

Words alone cannot express the sorrow we should all feel from losing someone who was so special. Yet he probably didn't know or see just how meaningful he and his gifts truly were to all of us. He lived in a Hellish world consumed by loneliness, uncertainty, and loss. His life was fueled by despair and regret. Only One knows his pain and scarcely few could even comprehend its level or the depth it weighed on his life. He was misjudged by his peers and taken for granted by those closest to him. He died in his home alone and was not found by anyone for quite some time. Leaving behind a tarnished image of someone consumed by a life he so desperately wanted escape, instead of the portrait of the artist he truly was and should be remembered as.

However we all should understand this lesson from this injustice-for it is one that confronts us all inevitably in the end. Who you are in this life matters, not what you look like in form Let the things you say echo forever in the hearts of those you inspire. Instead of holding on to false representations of who you wish to be, go forth and shine the light given to you by God without regret or remorse. For in truth many of the selfless acts we bestow upon one another go largely unnoticed, unheralded, and without any measure of gratitude. This man chose to leave behind his music for us- to listen to the man and not just be heard.
Let him be forever known for giving a glimpse of hope to good souls and artists wanting to create beauty for a world consumed by darkness and degradation.

May you rest peacefully forever my brother, with the comforting knowledge of what you accomplished and what you were selflessly trying to do, those efforts did not go unnoticed. And they will not go unsung. Alas it seems you are where you belong- Heaven's paradise among the Angels. Hopefully we will all see and hear you again. That is a hope held most dear to me. Let those who judged you unfairly with malice or indifference see what a beautiful human being you truly were and let them weep for missing out on what we your fans and friends came to know so very well.