Alice in Chains Rocker Mike Starr Dead at 44

Wonderwall, Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 4:12pm (PST)

Usmagazine -- Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr has died in Utah, TMZ confirms.

According to police, Starr's body was found in a Salt Lake City home Monday; they were called to the house at 1:42PM.

Born in Hawaii, the 44-year-old rocker was arrested in February for felony possession of a controlled substance. According to Salt Lake City police, Starr had six Xanax pills and six painkillers when he was arrested.

"It's a terrible shock and tragedy," his father says of his son's March 8 passing.

In August 2009, Starr joined the cast of Celebrity Rehab, where he sought treatment for heroin addiction at the Pasadena Recovery Center in California. His transition from rehab to the real world was documented on the second season of VH1's Sober House (alongside Dennis Rodman, 49, Heidi Fleiss, 45, and Tom Sizemore, 49).

In addition to his work with Alice in Chains, Starr teamed up with former Rondinelli bandmates Ray Gillen and Bobby Rondinelli in 1992 to form the heavy metal band Sun Red Sun. Joined by Al B. Romano on drums, the band released one album before Gillen died of AIDS-related causes on December 1, 1993; the band broke up shortly after.

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