1516 - Alice In Chains Black Gives Way To Blue 2009

Easily the most touching and hauntingly beautiful song inspired by Layne Staley's life was written by bandmate and longtime friend Jerry Cantrell. "Black Gives Way to Blue' served as the title track of the surviving members return album in 2009. Jerry even drafted Elton John to play piano on the emotionally charged farewell. Cantrell always had a way of writing from Layne's perspective in an unfortunately prophetic way. This one was the first retrospective song he had written about Staley, and is perhaps the most powerful he's written in his career.