Biography
Scott Weiland first achieved widespread recognition serving as lead vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots, a band that rose during the grunge movement, before launching an individual career and later becoming a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Born in Santa Cruz, California, on October 27, 1967, he lived the initial 15 years of his life near Cleveland, then relocated to the West Coast where he immersed himself in the active punk community of Orange County. In 1987 Weiland formed Mighty Joe Young alongside guitarist Robert DeLeo; the ensemble, soon renamed Stone Temple Pilots, emerged as one of the dominant acts of the mid-1990s by following the path of Nirvana and Pearl Jam and reaching the top of the charts with a hard-rock style steeped in angst.
That commercial ascent nevertheless carried consequences. After the band’s second album, Purple, appeared in 1994, Weiland’s heroin addiction became public knowledge. Once he completed a rehabilitation program, he rejoined Stone Temple Pilots to create their third release, 1996’s Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. A subsequent relapse, however, forced cancellation of the scheduled tour; when the remaining members recorded with another vocalist under the name Talk Show, the future of STP looked uncertain, prompting Weiland to issue his first solo album, 12 Bar Blues, in 1998.
Drug-related difficulties persisted for Weiland through the close of the decade. The solo record sold poorly, and an arrest for heroin possession resulted in a jail sentence. Even so, Stone Temple Pilots reunited to deliver No. 4 in 1999, which included the hit single “Sour Girl,” said to draw from the end of Weiland’s marriage. Although the album succeeded, the group officially disbanded around 2001 following a reported dispute between Weiland and DeLeo. Further legal trouble arose when a car accident on his 2003 birthday returned him to rehabilitation.
Around the same period, Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum—veterans of Guns N’ Roses and familiar with rock excess—auditioned Weiland for their new project. The three musicians bonded with him quickly, and the resulting hard-rock outfit Velvet Revolver issued its debut, Contraband, in 2004. The record achieved double-platinum status in the United States and earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for the single “Slither” in 2005. Weiland stayed with the group for its 2007 follow-up, Libertad. Despite entering the chart at number five, the album soon dropped from view, and Velvet Revolver postponed dates after Weiland entered rehab in early 2008. Friction marked the remaining performances, culminating in the official announcement of his departure on April 1; he also parted ways with the cover ensemble Camp Freddy, which included drummer Matt Sorum.
No longer tied to Velvet Revolver, Weiland returned to activity by participating in Stone Temple Pilots’ 2008 reunion. While preparing another solo project, the band completed a summer tour of 65 U.S. dates. Weiland then released his second solo album, “Happy” in Galoshes, in November 2008. Subsequent solo shows included a performance at the Fonda Theatre later captured on the 2010 live album Live in Los Angeles. In 2011 he issued the long-planned holiday collection Most Wonderful Time of the Year, featuring traditional seasonal songs such as “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “O Holy Night” interpreted across pop, big-band, reggae, and bossa-nova arrangements.
Over the following years Weiland focused on fresh material and performances with his band the Wildabouts, who backed him on the 2013 tour Purple at the Core that revisited earlier Stone Temple Pilots songs. Early in 2015 he announced the spring arrival of his fourth solo album, Blaster. Simultaneously, Art of Anarchy—a group that included Bumblefoot of Guns N’ Roses and John Moyer of Disturbed—revealed that tracks recorded with Weiland would also appear that spring; the recordings surfaced in June. Weiland soon distanced himself from Art of Anarchy, emphasizing that Blaster, the April release he created and toured with the Wildabouts, remained his central focus.
While touring with the Wildabouts, Weiland was discovered deceased by authorities in Bloomington, Minnesota, on December 3, 2015. Responding to a call about an unresponsive man inside a recreational vehicle, police confirmed he had already died. He was 48.
That commercial ascent nevertheless carried consequences. After the band’s second album, Purple, appeared in 1994, Weiland’s heroin addiction became public knowledge. Once he completed a rehabilitation program, he rejoined Stone Temple Pilots to create their third release, 1996’s Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. A subsequent relapse, however, forced cancellation of the scheduled tour; when the remaining members recorded with another vocalist under the name Talk Show, the future of STP looked uncertain, prompting Weiland to issue his first solo album, 12 Bar Blues, in 1998.
Drug-related difficulties persisted for Weiland through the close of the decade. The solo record sold poorly, and an arrest for heroin possession resulted in a jail sentence. Even so, Stone Temple Pilots reunited to deliver No. 4 in 1999, which included the hit single “Sour Girl,” said to draw from the end of Weiland’s marriage. Although the album succeeded, the group officially disbanded around 2001 following a reported dispute between Weiland and DeLeo. Further legal trouble arose when a car accident on his 2003 birthday returned him to rehabilitation.
Around the same period, Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum—veterans of Guns N’ Roses and familiar with rock excess—auditioned Weiland for their new project. The three musicians bonded with him quickly, and the resulting hard-rock outfit Velvet Revolver issued its debut, Contraband, in 2004. The record achieved double-platinum status in the United States and earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for the single “Slither” in 2005. Weiland stayed with the group for its 2007 follow-up, Libertad. Despite entering the chart at number five, the album soon dropped from view, and Velvet Revolver postponed dates after Weiland entered rehab in early 2008. Friction marked the remaining performances, culminating in the official announcement of his departure on April 1; he also parted ways with the cover ensemble Camp Freddy, which included drummer Matt Sorum.
No longer tied to Velvet Revolver, Weiland returned to activity by participating in Stone Temple Pilots’ 2008 reunion. While preparing another solo project, the band completed a summer tour of 65 U.S. dates. Weiland then released his second solo album, “Happy” in Galoshes, in November 2008. Subsequent solo shows included a performance at the Fonda Theatre later captured on the 2010 live album Live in Los Angeles. In 2011 he issued the long-planned holiday collection Most Wonderful Time of the Year, featuring traditional seasonal songs such as “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “O Holy Night” interpreted across pop, big-band, reggae, and bossa-nova arrangements.
Over the following years Weiland focused on fresh material and performances with his band the Wildabouts, who backed him on the 2013 tour Purple at the Core that revisited earlier Stone Temple Pilots songs. Early in 2015 he announced the spring arrival of his fourth solo album, Blaster. Simultaneously, Art of Anarchy—a group that included Bumblefoot of Guns N’ Roses and John Moyer of Disturbed—revealed that tracks recorded with Weiland would also appear that spring; the recordings surfaced in June. Weiland soon distanced himself from Art of Anarchy, emphasizing that Blaster, the April release he created and toured with the Wildabouts, remained his central focus.
While touring with the Wildabouts, Weiland was discovered deceased by authorities in Bloomington, Minnesota, on December 3, 2015. Responding to a call about an unresponsive man inside a recreational vehicle, police confirmed he had already died. He was 48.
Albums
If I Could Fly / Barbarella
2026
I Know It's Too Late
2025
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
2022
Blaster
2015
The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
2011
Happy In Galoshes
2008
12 Bar Blues (Deluxe Edition)
1998
12 Bar Blues
1998
Singles
