The song was written by Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his father, Jerry Cantrell Sr., who served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Cantrell learned to play guitar by ear, emulating his heroes. Hes only seen us play once, and I played this song for him when we were in this club opening for Iggy Pop. Just before the AIC boys hit the stage that night, Paul and his bandmates hit them hard. Director Mark Pellington was approached by Alice in Chains in late 1992 to work on a video treatment for Rooster. Cantrell pointed out that DuVall wasn't replacing Staley any more than Inez had replaced former bassist Mike Starr. His eyes were really fed up. Birth of Jerry D Cantrell SR Date of Birth: December 27, 1932 Day of Birth: Tuesday Zodiac / Star Sign: Capricorn (capricornus) Place of birth: (unknown) Birth Anniversary: in 331 days Time since birth: 32906 days = 91 years Find a funeral services Death of Jerry D Cantrell SR Date of Death: September 15, 1994 Died at Age: 61 years Day of Death: But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In an interview with Guitarist, Cantrell recalled how that atmosphere of violence permeated the sessions, which took place at One on One Recording in North Hollywood, where Metallica had recently tracked their Black Album. Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap. Don't everyone forget that a rooster is also an alarm clock (remember the old cartoons where the sun would come out and the rooster would cock-a-doodle-doo). Alice in Chains' sophomore studio album, 1992'sDirt,was a massive success that cemented the band's place in the grunge pantheon and featured landmark hits like "Angry Chair," "Would?," and "Rooster." Pellington's solution? He was standing in the back and he heard all the words and stuff. Rooster was his nickname in Vietnam, where he fought in the war. "He jumped out in the crowd with his broken with his cast, so I thought that was kind of nutty," added bassist Mike Starr in the same interview. Rooster was the fourth single from Dirt. ToS Starr took care of bass duties on Alice in Chains' beloved debut studio album,Facelift,as well as their even more esteemed sophomore effort,Dirt. Trivia (1) Father of Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell. Layne Staley improvised one of Dirt's most memorable moments As the songwriter, guitarist, and co-vocalist, Jerry Cantrell is responsible for much that makes Alice in Chains great, and seeing as the band's musical vibe tends to skew toward despair, it's no surprise that Cantrell has his share of personal tragedies. Jerry Cantrell has stated that his father had the family nickname Rooster since childhood due to the way his hair stood up on end as a youth. That sh!t scars you forever. He was the main subject in the song "Rooster" which Cantrell wrote as a tribute to his father. Cantrell picked it up very quickly, impressing his mother's boyfriend who suggested that she should buy her son a guitar, so she bought him an acoustic guitar. 6 on the Billboard 200. Ill never forget it. Rooster was released as the fourth single from Dirt in February of 1993. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. These chickens lived for more than 15 years. It even brought him to the point of tears. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Like, literallyallof it, except for drugs. I'm going to work 9 to 5 now.' (function() { Jerry Cantrell has been appeared in channels as follow: Deftones, JerryCantrellVEVO, Genius, Jerry Cantrell. (recorded prior to the rest of the album, and featured in the Cameron Crowe movie Singles), the rampaging leadoff track "Them Bones," and the ballad "Rooster," which Cantrell wrote about his father's experiences as a U.S. Army man during and after the Vietnam War. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Photo credit dreamstime Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (1080 x 2160). Have visited you at the WALL in D.C. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Due to the strain of war, his parents divorced when he was seven years old, and Cantrell was raised by his mother, Gloria, and his . Jerry Cantrell's father, Jerry Cantrell Sr. is a Vietnam War veteran. They come to kill the Rooster, but he wont die. The title comes from Alice in Chains guitarist-songwriter Jerry Cantrells father. Shared Photo: Henry E Cantrell and Elizabeth George, Shared Photo: Cantrell and Henley families. 4. (R.I.P. The "Rooster" character was based on AIC guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father (Jerry Cantrell Sr.) whose life long nickname was "Rooster". Your email address will not be published. Property records also list the home as having an elevator. i have posted a recent photo of Jerry Fulton Cantrell Sr, 6889. he was not born on july 9 1941, he did not die on feb 19 2009, nor serve in the US Navy, he is the subject of the song "The Rooster" written about experiences Jerry Sr had while serving in the us Army, Airborne, Vietnam. He grew up in Spanaway, and is the oldest of three children. He was totally cool, totally calm, accepted it all, and had a good time doing it. Hey Jerry Dale, Have never forgotten about you brotherI went to Vietnam in Army as a homage to you. Rather than resentment, Cantrell placed himself in the shoes of his father in Vietnam and Rooster was born. On the few occasions when Staley emerged from his self-imposed exile where drug dealers left illegal substances at his doorstep, he indeed resembled ashambling, grey zombie who'd even lost one or two fingers from collapsing veins, and generally looked "like an 80-year-old version of himself.". Rooster was his nickname in Vietnam, where he fought in the war. He was totally pinned." The band's second full-length overall, it built and expanded upon the template they had laid out on their 1990 debut, Facelift, in the process jacking up the intensity and raw emoting to incredible, and at times uncomfortable, extremes. Rumors about the vocalist's condition started making rounds, and some said he'd even lost an arm to gangrene. It was an environment that wasnt good for anyone, so we took off to live with my grandmother in Washington, and thats where I went to school. It does make sense, however sadly, it is not what happened. Cantrell admitted staying up one night, while he crashed at their place, possibly taking acid, and wanting to get a Jimi Hendrix type of sound on his guitar. Layne Staley was a charismatic frontman with a golden voice, but according to the A.V. He went to live with his mother and grandmother in Tacoma, Washington. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The younger Cantrell watched his father deploy twice and never talk about what happened in Vietnam. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He said (like 1 out of 100 comments previous) that Rooster was nickname for the M-60 gunner of a platoon. It's still perfect for your 2018playlist! He bad mouthed the wrong person and was immortalized in this song. Thanks guys, you all did an awesome job !!! Contact us about this article or share your story [email protected]. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Have visited you at the WALL in D.C. Will always remember you as a good looking young man with a good heart and a wild side that drew we young men to you. The band filmed a video for Rooster that would be praised and at the same time, criticized for being too graphic. We are pawns or we are not American. Politicians,power freaks,wall street. In his mid-teens he bought his first guitar from a swap meet, a Korean-made Fender Stratocaster. He watched as his father struggled with PTSD throughout his childhood until, eventually, it destroyed his family. "I just sat on my couch staring at the TV and getting drunk every day. He told me how So the song Rooster has a deeper meaning then what comes across to most people. Afterward, Starr said he went back to Staley's room and continued his drug binge. Therefore "snuffing the rooster" is "making sure that you don't wake up in the morning.". And he was crying the whole time. Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. Mike Starr was booted from Alice in Chains for drugs and then OD'd after his final show with the band Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. This was all my perception of his experiences out there. About humanity that kills itself in the name of feeding the war machine. Let's get a couple of takes.'". [Feel free to edit the following, add a story or explanation, etc. And I remember when we played it he was back by the soundboard and I could see him. The band was struggling with the newfound success their first album,Facelift,had brought them, and singer Layne Staley and bass player Mike Starr in particular were turning to drugs to the point it became a big issue. He revealed in the same book, I put him in sunglasses. He is an actor, known for Jerry Cantrell: Cut You In (1998) and Alice in Chains: Rooster (1993). But Layne Staley beat them to it by decades. "We never looked at it as a part of somebody is replaceable, because Layne Staley is not replaceable, Mike Starr is not replaceable," Cantrell said. Layne loved it but his dealer offered some unsolicited advice with Layne telling him to shut up. Jerry Cantrell's House (Google Maps). Jerry Cantrell's riffs were darker and sludgier; drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr's rhythms lumbered like an elephant trudging through molasses; and Layne Staley's raw-throated wail was agonized in a way that was almost painful to listen to. Posts about Vietnam War written by Mari. Rooster was the name that he went by in Vietnam. ", Inside the CD notes of 1999'sMusic Bankbox set collection, Jerry Cantrell also talked about the song, explaining, "It was the start of the healing process between my Dad and I from all that damage that Vietnam caused. god bless you for your playing of these songs to the world. Cantrell wrote this song to honor his father by telling a little story about his service in the Vietnam War. Could Cowboys trade for Stefon Diggs to appease Trevon; or swap Diggs for Ramsey? The songs inspiration comes from songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrells father. Cantrell's father, Jerry Sr., is a Vietnam Vet with PTSD and every fourth of July would go berserk and chase the neighborhood kids with a meat clever for shooting off fireworks. var opts = { Alice In Chains' guitarist and co-vocalist Jerry Cantrell may not have lived quite as rough a life as the band's famously tragic frontman, Layne Staley, but that doesn't mean he hasn't got his own share of past awfulness. Cantrell revealed the song seemed to heal a rift that had been created between himself and his father during his childhood. "If we had kept going," Kinney told Rolling Stone, "there was a good chance we would have self-destructed on the road, and we definitely didn't want that to happen in public." What's New Of course, I was never in Vietnam and he wont talk about it, but when I wrote this it felt rightlike these were things he might have felt or thought. Perhaps that's why he was nicknamed rooster? Learn More 222 Doc Livingston Former Owner- Consultant Author has 131 answers and 25.9K answer views 3 y He told me flat-out, 'People look at you like you're a piece of merchandise. Date:2021. It is a nice idea that anti war people were hugging our wounded and soul crushed men and women on their return but sadly that is not how it happened. Hes heard this song. It does not store any personal data. Career of the Jerry Cantrell started in 1985 . 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