William DuVall
The singer and guitarist who stepped into one of rock's most daunting roles, helping to resurrect Alice in Chains with powerful new chapters of sound.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American rock musician·Birthday: September 6·Generation X
Biography
William DuVall's path to the forefront of rock music was anything but conventional. Long before joining Alice in Chains, he was a pivotal figure in the Atlanta punk and hardcore scene with bands like Neon Christ, and later explored alternative rock with Comes with the Fall. His deep musicality and formidable stage presence eventually caught the attention of Jerry Cantrell. In 2006, he accepted the immense challenge of filling the void left by the late Layne Staley, not as a replacement, but as a new creative force. DuVall brought his own gritty vocal power and rhythmic guitar work, forming a fresh harmonic blend with Cantrell. This partnership led to a triumphant second act for the band, producing critically praised albums like 'Black Gives Way to Blue,' which proved they could honor their past while forging a vital and authentic future.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
William was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When William Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
William's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Alice in Chains in 2006, leading the band's successful revival.
- Co-wrote 'I Know' for Dionne Farris, winning an ASCAP Pop Music Award in 1996.
- Has recorded three studio albums with Alice in Chains, all of which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200.
- Earned three Grammy Award nominations as a member of Alice in Chains.
Did You Know?
He was a founding member of the 1980s hardcore punk band Neon Christ in Atlanta.
Before joining Alice in Chains full-time, his band Comes with the Fall opened for Jerry Cantrell's solo tours.
He is also a visual artist and has designed some of the band's merchandise and artwork.
“It's not about filling shoes. It's about starting a new journey in the same vehicle.”
