The songs inspiration comes from songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrells father. Staley distanced himself from his band and the world in general, opting instead to taking copious amounts of narcotics and playing video games. Still, as Loudwirereported in 2019, there was a time when the drummer's very presence on the band's first studio album,Facelift, was at risk. artist: "Alice In Chains",
After passing out, he recalled, "I wake up and [Layne] had me in the shower and everything. As there are no bald eagles in Vietnam, the closest thing to which the Vietnamese could draw a comparison was the chicken, thus leading to the pejorative "chicken men.". After that, you cant just come back home and say, OK, everythings cool. Staley was so out of it that he had to wear sunglasses when they shot the music video for "Rooster" so viewers wouldn't realize how high he was, while Starr's drug problems became so bad that the band had to ultimately fire him. Alice In Chains might seem like a band that ended its existence in a tragic way when singer Layne Staley died, only to later rise from the ashes as a sort of 2.0 version of themselves with the advent of guitarist-singer William DuVall. The band was struggling with the newfound success their first album,Facelift,had brought them, and singer Layne Staley and bass player Mike Starr in particular were turning to drugs to the point it became a big issue. Due to the strain of war, his parents divorced when he was seven years old, and Cantrell was raised by his mother, Gloria, and his maternal . Ronny Mauricio cant stop hitting home runs. Discover detailed information about Jerry Cantrell's height, real name, wife, girlfriend & kids. The first time I ever heard him talk about it was when we made the video and he did a 45-minute interview I was amazed he did it. He bad mouthed the wrong person and was immortalized in this song. And he was crying the whole time. What is the meaning of the song Rooster by Jerry Cantrell? Cantrell wrote the lyrics from the standpoint of his father. When we first got together as a band, we were all brothers. song: "The Rooster", The elder Cantrell wouldnt talk about the war, so Jerry crafted the lyrics based on what he thought where his fathers feelings and experiences, told from his perspective. Rumors about the vocalist's condition started making rounds, and some said he'd even lost an arm to gangrene. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Rooster was his nickname in Vietnam, where he fought in the war. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Sign up to get the latest from Revolver, straight to your inbox.
The Vietnam veteran. Trivia (1) Father of Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell. The song is about the strength of a soldierwho headed to Vietnam, leaving behind his wife and kids, and saw his buddy die. Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American musician and singer-songwriter. It was the highest-charting from the album in the US. Jerry Cantrell described to the LA Times the impact the Vietnam War had on his dads life, Vietnam is something he never talks about. Rooster by Alice In Chains was Jerry Cantrell's tribute to his Vietnam veteran dad, and it showed a different kind of dark side to the band (Image credit: Chris Carroll/Corbis via Getty Images) Rooster by Alice In Chains may have become one of the band's defining tracks, but its meaning was rooted in humble beginnings. He talked about the song 'Rooster' which was written for his dad Jerry Cantrell Sr . The guitar maestro developed a repetitive motion injury and had to have surgery to fix the issue. Required fields are marked *. Jerry Cantrell wrote Dirt's biggest hit, "Rooster," about his father, who had served two combat tours in Vietnam and whose nickname was also Rooster. Cantrell's father, Jerry Sr., is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. Thats why no one could snuff the rooster. The vision of VVMF is to ensure a society in which all who have served and sacrificed in our nation's Armed Forces are properly honored and receive the recognition they justly deserve. In the summer of 1993 Alice in Chains and Primus co-headlined the third iteration of the Lollapalooza festival, topping an eclectic mainstage lineup that featured, among others, Arrested Development, Front 242 and Tool. What is the meaning of the song the rooster by William Shakespeare? Oh, and Staley even broke his foot shortly before they started touring the album as a warm-up act to Ozzy Osbourne, so he had to perform several dates in a wheelchair. It is also often mistakenly attributed to the 101st Airborne Division - in which Cantrell's father served - who wore shoulder sleeve insignia on their arms featuring a bald eagle. We left him. During the Dirt tour bassist Mike Starr was kicked out of Alice in Chains due to his budding drug addiction. Cantrell Sr. served two combat tours in Vietnam, and also appears in the music video talking about his war experiences. He would later cite guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix,Ace Frehley, Tony Iommi, Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Career of the Jerry Cantrell started
in 1985 . Armed with a brand new sound that incorporated elements from heavy metal to the famous grunge drop-D tuning, the twin vocals of guitarist Jerry Cantrell and the charismatic frontman, Layne Staley, and the album's most iconic single, "Man in The Box," the band were instrumental in grunge's breakthrough. What is the zodiac sign of Jerry Cantrell ? He was totally pinned., Pellington recalled that Layne wanted to wear a cowboy hat in the video, but the director had a better idea. During those recording sessions, the band cut a number of other songs that eventually became their first EP, 1992s SAP, which was released in February of that year. As John Benson of Reuterstells us, the surviving members of Alice in Chains (guitarist-singer Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney) reunited in 2006 without a particularly clear vision of the shape of things to come. Like, literallyallof it, except for drugs. Im going to work from 9 to 5 now. That stuff scars you forever. Your email address will not be published. Staley's heroin addiction. As James Hickie of Kerrang! He served with the 101st Airborne Division, which has a fitting shoulder insignia: the bald eagle. The band filmed a video for Rooster that would be praised and at the same time, criticized for being too graphic. Together, we can make sure our heroes will get the reverence they deserve and the stories and sacrifices of our heroes will never be forgotten. He revealed in the same book, I put him in sunglasses. On a recent road trip, I heard Alice in Chains 1993 grunge classic Rooster and was taken with how relevant it still is today. Club, the year 1996 marked a point when he turned his back to all of it. From drugs, firings and broken bones to mayhem of L.A. riots, Alice in Chains' Layne Staley (left) and Jerry Cantrell, San Jose, California, April 11, 1993, photograph by Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images. Starr was dismissed from the band during the Dirt tour due to issues with drugs, and Staley's vices proved to be an ongoing and worsening problem, resulting in the band canceling shows and even breaking up for a period. Layne Staley.After a decade of battling drug addiction, Layne Staley was found dead in his condominium on April 19, 2002, even though he actually died on April 5thsame day Kurt Cobain of . The stoic Okie. Jerry Cantrell has stated that his father had the family nickname Rooster since childhood due to the way his hair stood up on end as a youth. Rooster was the name that he went by in Vietnam. JAX gives 'unhinged' details of her new song, 'Cinderella Snapped', 2023 MLB Preview: 6 dark horse MVP candidates, Report: James Harden is serious about Rockets reunion, Ja Morant accused of beating up teen, threatening mall security in police reports, Steph Curry could return to Warriors on road trip next week: report, Possible top overall pick in NFL Draft wanted in fatal high-speed crash, Niall Horan has a playlist for any mood to help manage mental health, Brendan Fraser reveals the scene in The Mummy where he nearly died. (function() { Jerry Cantrell's riffs were darker and sludgier; drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr's rhythms lumbered like an elephant trudging through molasses; and Layne Staley's raw-throated wail was agonized in a way that was almost painful to listen to. Just before the AIC boys hit the stage that night, Paul and his bandmates hit them hard. In October 1996, Staley was deeply shocked by the death of Demri Parrott, the vocalist's long-time girlfriend and fellow drug addict. Not that they felt like heroes but they were used and spit out by their own government. In 1996,Rolling Stonedid a powerfulinterview with Cantrell and Layne Staley (Alice in Chains' heroin-addicted frontman, who eventually overdosed and died in 2002)where Cantrellsaid, "My dad was trained to be a f*@!ing killer After that, you can't just come back home and say, 'OK, everything's cool. It was the start of their healing process. The music video featured real Vietnam War documentary/news footage as well as some very realistic/graphic re-enacted combat scenes. The first album that Cantrell owned was Elton John Greatest Hits , which was a gift he received from his father when he was 10 years old. Furthermore, the album's second half boasted a five-song "mini-suite" of sorts about the ravages of heroin addiction, a topic that at least half the band had firsthand knowledge of at the time. Friends recalled that Cantrell fell into depression and became a completely different person after losing both his mother and grandmother within a short span of time. Is rooster by Alice in Chains about Vietnam? Jerry Cantrell's father, Jerry Cantrell Sr. is a Vietnam War veteran. Many news outlets reported on Sunday that rockabilly singer Jerry Lee Lewis died. Born 18 March, 1966
(56 years old). How do I get Cantrell-1111 to be for my gedcom ancestor? Can a general surgeon do a cardiothoracic surgery? Overall, the band took a lighthearted approach to the incident, even printing up an official tour shirt emblazoned with an X-ray of Staley's broken foot under the band's logo. Of course, I was never in Vietnam, and he won't talk about it, but when I wrote this, it felt right like these were things he might have felt or thought. Isnt this song about the USA being the rooster that doesnt die? A real work of art may have a very specific meaning, but appeal to different schools of thought/interpretation in a more universal sense. [Feel free to edit the following, add a story or explanation, etc. Copyright 2023 by Project M Group LLC. Ill never forget it. the Rooster was a nickname for the gun M-60 and how when it was night it light up when they shot and looked like a rooster tail. The Alice In Chains guitarist and founding member purchased this 4 bed 4.75 bath home with 4,262 square feet in March of 2012 for $1.35 million. var opts = { Check out Van Halens Disastrous Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. div_id: "cf_async_" + Math.floor((Math.random() * 999999999)) This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. He told me how So the song Rooster has a deeper meaning then what comes across to most people. Club tells us, the people close to the singer appear to think that a very specific point in time marked the start of his darkness. Learn More 222 Doc Livingston Former Owner- Consultant Author has 131 answers and 25.9K answer views 3 y 2 Is rooster by Alice in Chains about Vietnam? EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, HONORED ON PANEL 20W, LINE 75 OF THE WALL. Jerry Cantrell Jerry Cantrell was born in Tacoma, WA, on March 18 1966. The band had their last full tour with Staley in 1993, when they were co-headlining Lollapalooza. It was funny: They wanted to know where the strip clubs in L.A. were. Cantrell's father, Jerry Sr., is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. The guitarist recalled to LouderSound, He didnt walk out on us. document.write('');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; Cantrell moved back with his mother to Spanaway where he attended junior high. Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) [1] is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the main subject in the song "Rooster" which Cantrell wrote as a tribute to his father. Over time, this less than healthy lifestyle started taking a toll on the singer, who kept on keeping on down his dark path despite the numerous attempts his bandmates made to lure him back in the land of the living. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As Dave Lifton of Ultimate Classic Rock reports, the 34-year-old singer was found dead in his apartment in Seattle. He said they were cocky and had a strut to them (you needed to be cocky as an M-60 threw out heavy fire, but would take heavy fire as well). Since their ammo belts have one tracer round after every four ball (normal) rounds it creates a "rooster tail" effect at night. I asked him about it once and he said, Thats dead, son, let it lie. When I wrote it, I was getting this vibe, thinking about him and what hes lived through two tours of duty in Vietnam, hes been a prison guard. The accompanying video featured Cantrell Sr., as well as real Vietnam news footage and reenacted combat scenes. I stayed for a few weeks, up in this little room.. Contact us about this article or share your story atgethelp@connectingvets.com. He also considers himself "half Yankee and half redneck". His maternal grandmother was from Norway, and his maternal grandfather was from the Czech Republic. However, Jerry Cantrell revealed the secret he learned after she passed away. By the time the band's second album, the esteemedDirt,came out, Starr's substance abuse issues were so severe that he and the band went their separate ways. An unusual way to start off the tour, but, as Staley reasoned in an interview at the time, "I didn't break my neck, so there's no excuse not to play." Perhaps that's why he was nicknamed rooster? The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement, and is known for its distinctive vocal style and the harmonized vocals between Cantrell and Layne Staley . Cantrell admitted staying up one night, while he crashed at their place, possibly taking acid, and wanting to get a Jimi Hendrix type of sound on his guitar. "Rooster" was the name that he went by in Vietnam. 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Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. The remembrance from your cousin Donna Taylor is touching. He went to live with his mother and grandmother in Tacoma, Washington. It was an environment that wasnt good for anyone, so we took off to live with my grandmother in Washington, and thats where I went to school. Fortunately for Kinney, the producer, Dave Jerden, didn't feel that Gilmore could capture the Alice in Chains drum sound, so the band took a little while off but not enough for Kinney's hand to heal. That sh!t scars you forever. About The comment that anti-war protesters did not spit on soldiers. This, as Cantrell puts it in an interview withRolling Stone, caused "a lot of problems and occurrences,"which ultimately played a part in breaking up the family, leaving Cantrell and his father estranged. 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