Sean Kinney is an American musician best known as the drummer for the Seattle Rock band Alice in Chains, which he co-founded along with guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell in 1987. Kinney was born on May 27, 1966 in Renton, Washington. He got his first drum kit when he was 5 years old. By the age of 9, he was the drummer for his grandfather's band, The Cross Cats, and travelled the Northwest playing small venues.

Alice in Chains was inactive from 1996 onwards due to lead vocalist Layne Staley's drug issues. In 1998 Kinney founded the short-lived project Spys4Darwin, with fellow Seattle musician Chris DeGarmo of Queensrÿche. They were joined by Alice in Chains' bassist Mike Inez and Sponge vocalist Vinnie Dombroski. The band released a 6-track EP titled "Microfish" in 2001.

After Layne Staley's death in 2002, Alice in Chains remained inactive until 2005 when Kinney came up with the idea of doing a benefit concert for the victims of the tsunami disaster that struck South Asia in 2004. He made calls to his former bandmates, as well as friends in the music community, such as former Alice in Chains manager Susan Silver. Kinney was surprised by the enthusiastic response to his idea, and n February 18, 2005, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney reunited to perform for the first time in 10 years at the K-Rock Tsunami Continued Care Relief Concert in Seattle. The band featured several guest vocalists. In 2006, after performing at the VH1's Decades Rock Live concert honoring the band Heart, Alice in Chains toured with new lead vocalist William DuVall, releasing their first album with him in 2009, "Black Gives Way to Blue". The band released a second album with DuVall in 2013, "The Devil Put Dinosaus Here", and continues to tour the world.