Legendary rock star Jerry Cantrell, best known as the guitarist of acclaimed rock band Alice in Chains, is celebrating his 60th birthday today.
The musician was born on March 18, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, and rose to fame throughout the ’80s and ’90s as one of the pioneering voices in alt-rock and grunge music.
Throughout their extensive career, Alice in Chains had five No. 1 singles—”No Excuses”, “Check My Brain”, “Your Decision”, “Hollow”, and “Stone”. They became wildly successful in the early ’90s thanks to their dark, gritty sound and experimentation with electric instruments; they were viewed by many as contemporaries of alternative rock bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden.
Cantrell was the band’s lead vocalist—alongside William Duvall—and performed alongside bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney. The band broke onto the scene with their single “Man in the Box” from their debut album Facelift, and achieved record-breaking international success with their second album, Dirt.
While grunge rock didn’t really survive the ’90s in mainstream radio, Alice in Chains remain one of the most influential voices in that scene. The band briefly went on hiatus in 2002 when vocalist Layne Staley—a previous member of the band—passed away following a destructive battle with substance abuse and addiction. Duvall replaced him in 2005 and the band has released three more albums since then.
As Alice in Chains grew in popularity, Cantrell began to develop a reputation of his own as one of the most iconic guitarists of the ’90s. He released multiple solo albums in conjunction with his time in the band, and worked alongside some of the genre’s biggest names—including Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, and Metallica.
Cantrell has been widely praised for his ability with the guitar; he was placed at No. 7 on Guitar World‘s ranking of the best guitarists of all time. His work on “Man in the Box” also made it onto their list of the best guitar solos ever recorded.
During Alice in Chains’ extended period of inactivity, Cantrell has contributed to the soundtracks of several Hollywood productions—most recently, Ryan Coogler‘s Oscar-winning thriller Sinners. He is also a regular spokesperson for MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides for artists struggling with addiction.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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