Los Angeles - Former Alice in Chains bass player Mike Starr, who went public with his drug problems on the reality TV show Celebrity Rehab, was found dead in a Salt Lake City house, police said on Tuesday, nine years after the rock band's singer died of an overdose. Starr was 44.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Police Department said officers responded to call about a possible body at a residence southwest of downtown earlier in the afternoon.
“There is nothing to indicate that this was foul play by another individual,'' the spokesperson said.
He did not have any information about the state of Starr's body, or who made the call. The medical examiner's office will likely conduct an autopsy on Wednesday, but the results of toxicology tests could take up to two months.
Starr left the band shortly after the release of its breakthrough 1992 album Dirt, which was packed with drug-related songs.
With replacement Mike Inez on board, Alice in Chains enjoyed even greater success at the helm of the Seattle ''grunge'' movement. But singer Layne Staley's drug battles put the brakes on the band in 1996. His decomposed body was found in a Seattle apartment in April 2002. His bandmates have resurrected the band with some success in recent years.
Starr, meanwhile, largely disappeared. He re-emerged in January 2010 as a patient on the third season of Celebrity Rehab, a VH1 reality show hosted by addiction specialist Dr Drew Pinsky.
But Starr was unable to beat his demons. He was arrested in Salt Lake City three weeks ago on an outstanding warrant related to an earlier drugs charge, and was also carrying unauthorised prescription medications.
TMZ, which broke the news of Starr's death, quoted his father as saying: “It's a terrible shock and tragedy.'' - Reuters