IN: Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American musician who is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist and main songwriter for the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement, and is known for its distinctive vocal style, and the harmonized vocals between Cantrell and Layne Staley (and later Cantrell and William DuVall). Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap. After Staley's death in 2002, Cantrell took the role of Alice in Chains' lead singer on most of the songs from the band's two albums without Staley, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), with DuVall harmonizing with him in the new songs and singing Staley's vocals in the old songs.

Cantrell was born in Tacoma, Washington, on March 18, 1966, to Gloria Jean Krumpos and Jerry Fulton Cantrell. He is the oldest of three children. Cantrell's parents divorced when he was seven. His maternal grandmother, Dorothy Krumpos, died of cancer in October 1986, and his mother died of pancreatic cancer at age 43 in April 1987, when he was 21 years old. Friends recalled that Cantrell fell into depression and completely became a different person after losing both his mother and grandmother within a short span of time. Cantrell noted in an interview that he was "raised on country music" as a youth and that he admires the emotion conveyed in the genre. He also considers himself "half Yankee and half redneck". However, hard rock music caught Cantrell's interest predominantly, and he bought his first guitar in his mid teens. It would not be until the age of 17 that he began seriously playing the instrument. Cantrell learned to play guitar by ear emulating his idols. He would later cite guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Ace Frehley, Tony Iommi, Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, David Gilmour, Nancy Wilson, and Eddie Van Halen as major influences, as well as Elton John and bands Fleetwood Mac, Heart and Rush as his early songwriting idols. Cantrell attended junior high and high school in Spanaway, Washington and, before owning his first guitar, was a member of the high school choir which attended many state competitions. In his senior year, Cantrell became choir president, and the quartet sang the national anthem at basketball games and won competitions with the highest marks achievable. Cantrell has cited his interest in dark musical tones as dating back to this period: "In choir we performed a cappella Gregorian chants from the 14th and 15th centuries. It was scary church music." His choir teacher and drama teacher were, early on, his two greatest motivators toward a career in music. When Alice in Chains' first album went gold, Cantrell sent both teachers a gold record.

Was he into rock music as a kid?

OUT: Cantrell has cited his interest in dark musical tones as dating back to this period: "

IN: Forest "Evy" Evashevski (February 19, 1918 - October 30, 2009) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks in 1942. Evashevski served as the head football coach at Hamilton College in 1941, Washington State University from 1950 to 1951, and the University of Iowa from 1952 to 1960, compiling a career record of 68-35-6. Evashevski's 1958 Iowa team went 8-1-1, winning the Big Ten Conference title and defeating the California Golden Bears in the 1959 Rose Bowl.

Eighteen months later, Evy enrolled at the University of Michigan. Michigan football coach Fritz Crisler wanted Evashevski on the field, so Evy was moved from the center position to quarterback one week before his first varsity game. In Crisler's single-wing system, the quarterback position required mostly calling signals and blocking for the running back, and Evashevski had the blocking skills and intelligence necessary to become a star. He started and was an all-Big Ten Conference performer three straight seasons. He played from 1938 to 1940 and paved the way for halfback Tom Harmon, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1940. Evashevski also played in the same Michigan backfield with David M. Nelson, a fellow alumni of Northwestern High. Nelson would go on to a noteworthy coaching career; among his many contributions was the wing-T formation. Harmon said, "Evy seemed to think right with Crisler...[A]s a linebacker, he had a fantastic instinct for smelling out the play...As a blocker, I never saw a better one." Although Harmon won the Heisman, Evashevski was the team's captain. Evashevski was also the most dynamic personality on the team. Once, Crisler's Wolverines were leading a foe 21-0 at half. He feared a letdown, so he ordered his team to consider the game scoreless. Crisler then asked, "OK, Evy, what's the score?" Evashevski replied, "You can't kid me, coach. The score is 21-0." On another occasion, Evashevski shocked both his coach and teammates by lighting a victory cigar on the sidelines with thirty seconds to play in a 1939 win over Ohio State. Before a game against Minnesota, Crisler implored his team in a pregame speech to be 11 lions on offense and 11 tigers on defense. Evashevski spoke up and said he would not play unless he could be a leopard. On another day, Crisler, who demanded punctuality of his players, arrived for practice a little late. "Fritz", Evashevski barked, daring to use Crisler's nickname, "we begin practice at 3:30. It's now 3:35. Take a lap around the field"; Crisler did. He was named to the 1939 College Football All Polish-American Team. The Wolverines were 20-4 from 1938 to 1940. Crisler later called Evashevski "the greatest quarterback I ever had." Evashevski won the Big Ten Medal given to the school's best senior student-athlete. He was the baseball catcher, the senior class president, and an honor society member. Evashevski graduated with a sociology major and a psychology minor. He wanted to take labor law at the University of Michigan Law School, but his plans were interrupted with the outbreak of World War II and the Americans entering the War.

Did he do well playing at U of M?

OUT:
Crisler later called Evashevski "the greatest quarterback I ever had."