Mike Inez
Inez performing with Alice in Chains in 2019
Inez performing with Alice in Chains in 2019
Background information
Birth nameMichael Allen Ines[1][2]
Born (1966-05-14) May 14, 1966
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.[3]
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Bass guitar
Years active1983–present
Member ofAlice in Chains
Formerly of

Michael Allen Inez (born May 14, 1966)[2] is an American rock musician who has been the bassist of Alice in Chains since 1993. He is also recognized for his work with Ozzy Osbourne from 1989 to 1993. Inez has also been associated with Slash's Snakepit, Black Label Society, Spys4Darwin, and Heart. He is of Filipino descent.[4][5] Inez has earned seven Grammy Award nominations as a member of Alice in Chains.[6]

Career

Mike Inez began his career in music by playing guitar and saxophone. Since the late 1980s, his career has consisted of the role of bass guitarist in popular hard rock bands.

Ozzy Osbourne (1989–1993)

In 1989, more than 50 musicians auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne's group, and Inez, then a member of the local L.A. band Skin on Skin, won the spot of bassist. Within a month, Inez was playing live at a gig with Osbourne at Wembley Stadium.

Inez was an official member of Osbourne's band during their recording of the No More Tears album. However, Bob Daisley was brought in to record the bass and none of Inez's playing is on the final album. In the liner notes Inez was credited as "bass and music inspiration," as he had written the riff to the title track in a jam session. Inez also appeared on the 1993 Osbourne live album, Live & Loud.

Alice in Chains (1993–2002)

Inez performing with Alice in Chains in 2009

By January 1993 Inez had moved on to his next project. Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr had left the group after the release of their album Dirt and Inez replaced him. Inez toured throughout 1993 with Alice in Chains on the strength of the Dirt album. The group also participated in the 1993 Lollapalooza Tour. Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies EP was released in 1994 with Inez on bass. Jar of Flies debuted at #1 on album sales charts, the first EP ever to do so.[7]

Inez recorded with the band for their eponymous 1995 release Alice in Chains, which also debuted at #1. In 1996, Alice in Chains recorded their MTV Unplugged special, the first live performance the group had played together in three years. After their last live performance on July 3, 1996, Alice in Chains went on hiatus. Then in August 1998 Alice in Chains returned to the studio to release the songs "Get Born Again" and "Died". In 1999 the band went on hiatus once again, when rumors of vocalist Layne Staley's drug abuse arose. Alice in Chains officially disbanded on April 20, 2002, after the news of the death of Staley.

Slash's Snakepit (1995)

In 1995, Inez played with Slash on the Guns N' Roses guitarist's side group, Slash's Snakepit. The group recorded It's Five O'Clock Somewhere although Inez did not play any live shows during the corresponding tour. He also briefly rejoined Ozzy Osbourne's band on the Retirement Sucks tour after Geezer Butler resigned due to the pressures of touring.

Jerry Cantrell and Spys4Darwin (1998)

In 1997 Inez played with his Alice in Chains bandmate, Jerry Cantrell, on his debut solo album, Boggy Depot. In the following year, Inez played on the bonus track to Black Label Society's debut album Sonic Brew, a reworked heavy metal cover version of the Osbourne track "No More Tears". At around this time, Inez formed the band Spys4Darwin with Sean Kinney, Chris DeGarmo from Queensrÿche, and Vinnie Dombroski from Sponge. They released the microfish EP, and played radio festivals in the Northwest.

Black Label Society (2001–2004)

In mid-August 2001, Inez temporarily replaced Black Label Society bassist Steve Gibb, who was sent home in the middle of their Ozzfest tour. In 2003, Black Label Society's Robert Trujillo joined Metallica; Inez replaced him in Black Label Society, joining for a short two-week west coast tour of the United States and a short tour of Japan for their The Blessed Hellride album. A few songs from the Tokyo, Japan show of this tour appear in the bonus features section of their live DVD, Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned. In 2004, Inez recorded the track "Crazy or High" with Black Label Society for their studio album release Hangover Music Vol. VI.

Heart (2002–2006)

Following Layne Staley's death in April 2002, Inez joined Heart and toured with the band from 2002 through 2006.[8] He appears on Heart's 2003 release, Alive in Seattle, a double CD live recording that documents a 2002 concert at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.[9]

Inez also played bass and tambourine on Heart's 2004 album Jupiters Darling.[10]

Alice in Chains reunion (2005–present)

Inez performing

In 2005, Jerry Cantrell, Inez, and Sean Kinney reunited to perform a benefit concert in Seattle for victims of the tsunami disaster that struck South Asia in 2004. By 2006 Inez, along with the surviving members of Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney, set out for a world tour with various guest singers to fill in for the late Layne Staley. The main singer for the band's tour was William DuVall. The band was also featured on Decades of Rock: Heart and Friends where they performed "Would?" with Phil Anselmo and "Rooster" with William DuVall. DuVall would go on to be made the permanent singer of the group, which has since released three studio albums with Duvall and toured extensively since 2006.

Guest appearances

In late 2002, Inez was considered to replace Jason Newsted in Metallica.[11]

At the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors, Alice in Chains performed the tribute to Heart. Inez is the only musician who has been a member of both bands.

Inez was a guest player on "Under the Gun" from Motörhead's 2006 album Kiss of Death.

In early 2008, Inez recorded a "Behind the Player" instructional DVD with the help of John Tempesta. The DVD features lessons of some of Mike's favorite Alice in Chains songs, and a sit down in depth interview.

In 2019, Inez was a guest bass player on Mark Morton's debut solo album Anesthetic.[12]

Personal life

Inez married his fiancée Sydney Kelly on May 8, 2010, at the estate of Susan Silver, Alice in Chains' manager.[13]

Basses and amps

According to Bass Player Magazine, Inez uses the following basses:

They are strung with medium-gauge Dean Markley Blue Steel strings.

Inez uses four Ampeg SVT-2PRO heads, two of them plugged into four 1x18" cabinets for the lows, and the other two plugged into two 8x10" cabinets. In addition, he sends his signal direct to the mixing board with a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI.[14]

Discography

Year Album details Band Notes
1993 Live & Loud
1994 Jar of Flies Alice in Chains
1995 It's Five O'Clock Somewhere Slash's Snakepit
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains
1996 Unplugged
1999 Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
Music Bank
2000 Live
2001 Greatest Hits Bass on tracks 6–10.
Microfish
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Pied Viper Records
 Spys4Darwin
2003 Alive in Seattle Heart
2004 Jupiters Darling
  • Released: June 22, 2004
  • Label: Sovereign
2006 The Essential Alice in Chains Alice in Chains Bass on Disc 2 except "Would?"
2009 Black Gives Way to Blue
2013 The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
2018 Rainier Fog
  • Released: August 24, 2018
  • Label: BMG
2019 Live in Atlantic City
  • Release date: January 25, 2019
  • Label: earMUSIC
 Heart
Other appearances
Year Album details Band Notes
1998 Boggy Depot Jerry Cantrell Bass on "Cut You In", "Jesus Hands" and "Devil by His Side"
1999 Sonic Brew Black Label Society On track "No More Tears"
2003 Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned Live DVD. Mike appears on the Tokyo, Japan section
2004 Hangover Music Vol. VI On track "Crazy Or High"
2005 Kings of Damnation 98–04 On "Crazy Or High" and on "No More Tears" (from Bonus Disc)
2019 Anesthetic Mark Morton Tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Nona Tapes Himself Short film
2013 AIC 23 Unta Gleeben Glabben Globben Globin Short film

References

  1. ↑ Michael Allen Inez, 1966–
  2. 1 2 California Births, 1905–1995, Michael A. Ines (Birth Date: May 14, 1966, County of Birth: Los Angeles)
  3. ↑ "Michael A Ines, Born 05/14/1966 in California". California Birth Index. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  4. ↑ ""Foi como perder um irmão", diz Mike Inez, do Alice in Chains, sobre a morte de Layne Staley". Rolling Stone Brasil (in Portuguese). May 14, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  5. ↑ "ALICE IN CHAINS Vocalist WILLIAM DUVALL Recalls Being Racially Profiled By Police". Blabbermouth. December 5, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ "GRAMMY Award Results for Mike Inez". Grammy.com. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ Billboard. "Alice in Chains Biography & Awards". Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart at Walk of Fame Star Ceremony". heart-music.com. October 5, 2012. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Heart – Alive in Seattle". AllMusic. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Heart – Jupiters Darling". AllMusic. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  11. ↑ Yahoo! "Metallica Biography – Yahoo! Music". Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Lamb Of God's Mark Morton Debuts First Solo Album, Anesthetic". Guitar.com. March 5, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Alice In Chains Bassist's Wedding Photo". Blabbermouth. May 11, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  14. ↑ Nichole, Dr. "Bass Player". Bass Player. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
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