Often troubled musician Scott Weiland, more popularly known as the former frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, has died. He was 48.
The singer’s manager, Tom Vitorino, confirmed the death to media outlets early Friday morning. Vitorino said he learned of Weiland’s death from his tour manager. He did not provide further details but referenced a statement on Weiland’s Facebook page.
The statement said Weiland, who was dogged by substance abuse problems throughout his career, passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Weiland fronted one of the most successful grunge bands of the 1990s in Stone Temple Pilots but was also dogged by problems with substance abuse throughout his career.
Stone Temple Pilots’ 1992 debut, “Core,” has sold more than 8 million units in the United States. Their hits include “Vasoline,” ”Interstate Love Song” and “Plush,” which won a Grammy in 1993 for best hard rock performance with vocal.
Amid the successes, Weiland had a long string of drug and alcohol-related arrests and stints in rehab. In 1995, he was arrested after deputies found him carrying crack and heroin. He pleaded guilty to felony heroin possession in 1998. And his arrests for drug possession and stints in rehab led the Stone Temple Pilots to cancel tour dates and contributed to their 2003 breakup.
After the band split, Weiland joined former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum and former Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner to form the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Weiland departed Velvet Revolver in 2008 to join the reunited Stone Temple Pilots.
Weiland’s current band, Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts, had been scheduled to play a show in nearby Medina, Minnesota, according to a local venue’s website. The website showed the event was canceled. It did not give a reason.
Weiland’s wife, Jamie Weiland, also confirmed his death to the Los Angeles Times.
“I can’t deal with this right now,” she said, sobbing. “It’s true.”
The singer rose to fame as the frontman of the Grammy Award-winning Stone Temple Pilots, whose hits include “Interstate Love Song,” ”Plush,” and “Vasoline.”
The band broke up in 2003 and Weiland went on to front Velvet Revolver, the supergroup that featured former members of Guns N’ Roses, including guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. Among that group’s hits was “Fall to Pieces.”
The Stone Temple Pilots eventually reunited in 2008.
“The story’s not finished,” Weiland told media outlets at the time. “There’s more to be revealed and more to be told.”
Weiland published his autobiography in 2011, “Not Dead & Not For Sale,” which was taken from the lyrics of one of the Stone Temple Pilots best-loved songs, “Trippin’ ON A Hole In A Paper Heart.”
But the group split again in 2013, and the Stone Temple Pilots told the world and fans that Weiland had been fired from the band, and he was quick to speak out about this. “I’m not sure how I can be fired from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but we’ll let the lawyers figure it out.”
Weiland had a long string of drug- and alcohol-related arrests and stints in rehab. In 1995, he was arrested after deputies found him carrying crack and heroin. He pleaded guilty to felony heroin possession in 1998. And his arrests for drug possession and stints in rehab led the Stone Temple Pilots to cancel tour dates and contributed to their 2003 breakup.