We all start by emulating someone and if you are lucky enough then someone starts emulating you
I feel listening to Cantrell that emulating someone is only part of the story, as Tom Morello attests, there is also a lot of sacrifice as well.
What was interesting was how much all the Seattle bands worked with each other, rather than in competition. This is something that also came through in the concert celebrating Alice in Chains’ addition to the Museum of Pop Culture’s Hall of Fame: