Layne Staley’s father, Phil Staley, has given Alice in Chains singer William DuVall his seal of approval. A lucky journalist happened to run into Mr. Staley at an Alice in Chains pop-up in Seattle, getting a rare interview with the late legend’s dad.

Phil Staley rightfully acknowledged the “big shoes” DuVall has filled, as Layne’s influence and memory have held strong in the many years since his passing. “I’m pretty biased. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't anybody that's going to match him, but the group has done a wonderful job,” Phil Staley says.

“William has done a wonderful job and I couldn't be prouder that the group is still carrying on. I love all those guys, love them. I still run texts with Jerry [Cantrell] and Sean [Kinney] on the road, so we’ve been close. We are family."

Phil Staley also gave some advice on how parents should react if their kids want to be a rock star. “Go for it, ‘cause I wanna be a groupie.”

Watch the interview with Phil Staley below (Skip to 23:00). Alice in Chains released their sixth studio album, Rainier Fog, last week to positive reviews. Check out our review of the record here.

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