Released a new album with Alice in Chains, "Black Gives Way to Blue", on September 29, 2009. It was the band's first album in 14 years and also the first without Layne Staley. The title song is a tribute to Staley written and sung by Cantrell accompanied by Elton John on piano. Cantrell is a fan of Elton John and told that his first album was Elton John's Greatest Hits. The first concert that Staley attended was Elton's when he was a kid.
We're in an interesting place right now. You don't expect to get to old age when you're a young musician, especially with the whole music and reality of live fast, die young, sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. I mean, I'm in it until I blow up, don't get me wrong. It's pretty cool to stick around. I'm grateful to have made it through, and not ashamed of owning everything I did, good and bad.
