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Former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS Vocalist Scott Weiland Dies Aged 48
December 3rd, 2015

Scott Weiland, formerly the vocalist of Los Angeles, California-based rock group Stone Temple Pilots and American hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, died on the evening of December 3rd, 2015 at the age of 48.

Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts were scheduled to perform at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota that evening, having stayed in Bloomington, Minnesota. At 8:22pm, officers of the Bloomington, Minnesota Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive adult male in a recreational vehicle located in the 2200 block of Killebrew Drive. Arriving, the officers in question determined that Weiland was deceased. The cause of death was later revealed as a drugs overdose.

Scott Weiland was born Scott Richard Kline on October 27th, 1967 in San Jose, California to mother Sharon Williams and father Kent Kline. Two years following his birth, the pair divorced. Stepfather Dave Weiland adopted Scott at the age of five, changing his surname. The family moved to Ohio for a number of years, and ultimately returned to California when Weiland was a teenager.

Stone Temple Pilots formed during the mid-80s and included brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo, adopting various monikers such as Swing and Mighty Joe Young prior to using the better known Stone Temple Pilots name.

During recording sessions for September 1992 debut full-length studio album Core, a lawyer telephoned the ensemble and informed them a bluesman’s name was Mighty Joe Young. Inspired by STP Motor Oil stickers, the name was revised to Stone Temple Pilots.

Between the years 1992 and 2001, the band issued five full-lengths; Core, Purple (1994), Tiny Music… Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop (1996), No. 4 (1999), and Shangri-La Dee Da (2001). Lifted from the Core record, the composition ‘Plush’ won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1994. Other better known tracks include ‘Creep’, ‘Big Empty’, ‘Vasoline’, and ‘Interstate Love Song’.

Disbanded in 2002, Stone Temple Pilots regrouped in 2008. A sixth and final studio platter with Weiland handling microphone duties emerged in 2010, a self-titled affair. Weiland was ultimately fired in 2013, and replaced with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington.

Sandwiched between Stone Temple Pilots’ hiatus, Velvet Revolver was formed in 2002, featuring rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner and former Guns N’ Roses members Slash (guitars), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums). Velvet Revolver released two full-length records in all, namely Contraband (2004) and Libertad (2007). The singles ‘Slither’ and ‘Fall To Pieces’ accrued Gold certification, the former earning a 2005 Grammy for Best Hard Rock performance. Weiland parted ways with Velvet Revolver in 2008, but reunited for a benefit concert in 2012.

In addition, Weiland pursued a solo career intermittently, issuing the following albums; 12 Bar Blues (1998), “Happy” In Galoshes (2008), The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (2011), and Blaster (as Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts).

Funeral services for Weiland were held on December 10th at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Weiland was father to children Noah and Lucy, who he conceived with ex-wife Mary Forsberg. The vocalist met current wife Jamie Wachtel in 2011, who photographed him at a music video shoot – wedding two years later. Throughout most of the 90s, Weiland was married to Janina Castaneda.