Mike Starr (44), the former Alice in Chains bassist whose battle with drugs was chronicled on the reality TV show “Celebrity Rehab,” was found dead in Salt Lake City, officials said.
Mike Starr cause of death has not yet been released.
Starr, who battled drug addiction, appeared on the third season of Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2009 and gave a testimonial marking six months and seven days of sobriety during season four. But his latest run-in with the law implied that he had hit a roadblock in his recovery.
Starr was arrested last month in Salt Lake City on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance for allegedly having six Xanax pills and six tablets of the painkiller Opana.
Starr’s former Alice in Chains band mates, Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney, released a statement, offering their support for his family. The band’s original singer, Layne Staley, died from a drug overdose in 2002.
“Jerry and Sean are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy — and the privacy of Mike’s family — during this difficult time. Their thoughts & prayers are with Mike’s family,” it read.
Alice in Chains, a U.S. grunge band, shot to fame in the early 1990s. Starr left the group soon after the release of its 1992 album, “Dirt.”