Jerry Cantrell and Courtney Clarke met at a Guns N' Roses concert in Seattle on June 1, 1988, while he was trying to hand Axl Rose a demo tape of his band, Alice In Chains. They had an on-and-off relationship for seven years.
In 1992 the song "Down in a Hole", from the album "Dirt", was released, and Jerry wrote this about the love of his life, Courtney Clarke. This song encompasses all of the insecurities and self-doubt inherent in a relationship.
Rolling Stone wrote about their relationship in 1996:
"One of the most emotional songs on the record, “Heaven Beside You,” was written solely by Cantrell as a way of coping with his recent split from his girlfriend of seven years. He met her at a Guns N’ Roses concert while he was trying to hand Axl Rose a band demo, and Cantrell still describes her as “the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life.” The two parted ways last year because Cantrell was unable to remain faithful to her. “I still love her, but I’m too much of a fucking wolf — kill, attack, move on,” he laments. “It’s so tough when you’re so used to being hard. You can’t tell an oak to be a pine.”"
In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set, Jerry Cantrell dedicated the song "Down in a Hole" to Courtney Clarke, his "long-time love." He wrote: "It's the reality of my life, the path I've chosen and in a weird way it kind of foretold where we are right now. It's hard for us to both understand... that this life is not conducive to much success with long-term relationships."