Former Alice in Chains Bassist Mike Starr Is Dead!

Original ALICE IN CHAINS bassist MIKE STARR has died.  His body was found at his home in Salt Lake City on Monday.  He was 44.  No cause of death has been announced... but sadly, there's a good chance it involved drugs.

Starr appeared on the third season of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" in 2009... and the second season of its spin-off "Sober House", which aired last year.  He was battling a heroin addiction.

Later, Starr popped up on the fourth season of "Celebrity Rehab", saying that he'd been clean for six months and seven days.  But apparently that didn't last.

Starr was arrested in Salt Lake City last month for felony possession of a controlled substance.  The cops found six Xanax pills and six tablets of a painkiller called Opana on him at the time.

Starr played on Alice in Chains' first two albums "Facelift" and the classic "Dirt", and their first two EPs "We Die Young" and "Sap".

(Now TWO of the four Alice in Chains musicians on their first EP, "We Die Young", died young.  Original singer LAYNE STALEY died in 2002 at the age of 34.  He overdosed on a speedball, which is a mixture of cocaine and heroin.)

Starr left Alice in Chains in 1993 during the "Dirt" tour.  MIKE INEZ replaced him... and remains their bassist to this day.

The band had said Starr left because of a "difference in priorities."  But on "Celebrity Rehab", Starr admitted he was kicked out because of his drug use.

By the way, Inez was the one who orchestrated Alice in Chains' reunion with new singer WILLIAM DUVALL in 2005.  So Starr was probably never considered for that, regardless of whether or not he was clean.

Last year, guitarist JERRY CANTRELL and drummer SEAN KINNEY"Celebrity Rehab", but wished Starr well. SLAMMED

Cantrell wrote, "I think it's a real travesty and a shame to put people in a really vulnerable situation like that and make it entertainment for people to see... it's just kind of disgusting to me actually.  It's nothing I back.

"[But] I totally back Mike and I back his efforts to get clean and remain somebody that I and the band really care about... he's a friend of ours, you know, and we wish him the best."

Yesterday Dr. Drew said, quote, "It's devastating to hear of Mike succumbing to his illness.  So very sad.  Our prayers are with his family."  (Hey, don't worry about it, man.  You can't save 'em all.  Your show will go on.) (???)