Scott Weiland, the beleaguered former frontman of Stone Temple Pilots, and later Velvet Revolver, died on Thursday in Minnesota. He was 48.
Update: Stone Temple Pilots have posted the following message to Facebook:
Dear Scott,Let us start by saying thank you for sharing your life with us. Together we crafted a legacy of music…
Posted by Stone Temple Pilots on Friday, December 4, 2015
His manager, Tom Vitorino, confirmed the news. A statement posted to Weiland’s Facebook and Instagram pages said he “passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his band The Wildabouts.” With one album under their belts, The Wildabouts had been scheduled to perform Thursday night in Medina, Minn., at the Medina Entertainment Center.
According to Billboard.com, the Bloomington, Minnesota Police Department issued a statement at 11:15 p.m. PT detailing the events: On December 3 at 8:22 p.m., officers responded to a report of an unresponsive adult male in a recreational motor vehicle located in the 2200 block of Killebrew Drive. Officers arrived and determined the adult male was deceased. The address seems to correspond to a local Country Inn & Suites hotel.
In a now-deleted tweet, Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addition broke the news to many on Thursday night: “Just learned our friend Scott Weiland has died. So gutted, I am thinking of his family tonight.”
Other rockers, friends and former bandmates have been offering their condolences and support on social media after the announcement on the official Scott Weiland FB page:
Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, passed away in his sleep while...
Posted by Scott Weiland on Thursday, December 3, 2015
RIP Scott Weiland
— Dave Kushner (@davekushner66) December 4, 2015
Extremely saddened to have read Scott Weiland passed. Such a gifted performer. My thoughts are with your loved ones,friends & fans.
— Joe Perry (@JoePerry) December 4, 2015
Just heard some news that broke my heart. May heavens doors be wide open for you friend. #RIPScottWeiland
— Foster The People (@fosterthepeople) December 4, 2015
Scott Weiland was just found dead on his tour bus :(. Very sad
— T❍mmy L33 (@MrTommyLand) December 4, 2015
Very sorry to hear about Scott Weiland. He was a captivating frontman who had a gift for writing great melodies. RIP
— Myles Kennedy (@MylesKennedy) December 4, 2015
Really sorry to hear about Scott Weiland.
— Krist Novoselić (@KristNovoselic) December 4, 2015
Sad to hear about Scott Weiland passing. He was a once of a kind epic force onstage. thoughts are w his family #RIPScottWeiland
— Juliette Lewis (@JulietteLewis) December 4, 2015
At the peak of Stone Temple Pilots’ fame in the 1990s, Weiland was known for his wild charisma and serpentine sexuality, as well as his habitual drug use and volatile offstage personality.The band’s first two records sold 14 million copies in the United States, and their breakthrough single “Plush” earned a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1994. The band released three more albums before going on hiatus in 2001, reuniting nine years later to release a self-titled album in 2010 after attempts at success with another singer.
Three years later, the group permanently parted ways with Mr. Weiland, posting a brief message on the band’s website that stated the singer had been “officially terminated.” Not long after, the remaining members of the band announced the Chester Bennington of Linkin Park was his replacement.
Weiland, who claimed to suffer from bipolar disorder, struggled deeply with drug addiction, and was often seen as defiant and disheveled - though he repeatedly claimed that he hadn't had a needle in his arm in fifteen years. In 1995, he was arrested for crack cocaine and heroin possession, and completed a rehabilitation program. In 1996, he entered rehab again, forcing STP to cancel a tour supporting the album Tiny Music … Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop. Three years later, he was sentenced to a year in jail for violating probation that resulted from a 1998 arrest for heroin possession.
During that time, he released his first solo album, 12 Bar Blues, in 1998 and its follow-up, Happy in Galoshes, a decade later. A holiday album titled The Most Wonderful Time of the Year arrived in 2011 to very little fanfare.
Weiland also found fame outside Stone Temple Pilots with Velvet Revolver, a supergroup consisting of three former members of Guns N’ Roses — Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum — and the guitarist Dave Kushner. The group’s 2004 debut LP reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart and included two gold-selling singles, “Slither” and “Fall to Pieces.” “Slither” also received a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005.
But Weiland would ostracize himself from this band as well, resulting in his 2008 firing. The band dismissed released a statement that said Mr. Weiland’s “increasingly erratic onstage behavior and personal problems” were partly to blame.
As recently as a few days ago, Weiland did an interview with Canada's "The Todd Shapiro Show" where he seemed under the influence, giving one-word answers and barely coherent responses. You can listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below - but be warned, it's a sad listen.
Scott is survived by two children.
