Jerry Cantrell was born in Tacoma, WA, on March 18 1966. His father, 
 Jerry Cantrell Sr. (nicknamed "the Rooster") was in Vietnam when Jerry
 was born. His mother, Gloria Jean Cantrell was very musical and played
 the piano. She died just before her son's major breakthrough as a 
 musician and Jerry once said that if he could get one wish granted it 
 would be having his mother alive to see his success. 

 Jerry first picked up the guitar in sixth grade, and spent the 
 following years playing only a little from time to time, when he 
 was 17 he picked up the electric guitar and started playing more seious.
 He started playing in various garage bands around Seattle, and during 
 this time he got to know Mike (Starr, original bassist). When he met Layne 
 (who was tired of the glam band he was in) at a party in 1987 he decided 
 to start a band with him. He got Starr into it and Starr introduced them to Sean. 

 Jerry is the main songwriter, with potential to write songs like "Would?",
 "Rooster", "Got Me Wrong" and "NoExcuses" entirely on his own. The equipment he
 uses hasn't changed much over the years, he says he don't like having to many 
 effects; basically an Alesis box for reverbs and delays, a Dunlop Rotovibe and 
 Crybaby, an Eventide harmonizer and occasional chorus/flanger effects. He has 
 four cream white G&L Rampage guitars fitted with Seymor Duncan Jeff Beck signature 
 pickups, but he also uses Gibson Les Pauls, preferably a black Custom and a 
 seventies Standard Goldtop. His choice of amplification is pretty basic; a Bogner
 Fist preamp, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and of course Marshalls, all run through 
 Marshall 4x12" cabs fitted with Celestion 25 W "Greenback" speakers. 


 Unforgetable quotes regarding... 

 ...non-touring:
 "You should see us on the road sometime by the end of the road" 

 ...trends:
 "And when power ballads come back, we'll get big hair again" 

 ...rehearsing:
 "Rehearsals and this band are two words that don't really go together, 
   kinda like 'Military Intelligence'..." 

 ...the music:
 "Our music’s kind of about taking something ugly and making it beautiful"