Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots at the Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Los Angeles Open Road Tour, California Speedway, Fontana, CA 09-07-02
Sad news for alternative music fans as reports started coming in last night that Scott Weiland, former vocalist for the legendary Stone Temple Pilots was found dead on his tour bus in Minnesota. He was touring with his band Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts. While details are sketchy, we are hearing that he was found unresponsive in his tour bus and that night’s concert had previously been cancelled for an unknown reason. No more details are available regarding the cause of his death. Weiland had battled substance abuse throughout his life and had generated an unfortunate amount of headlines from this. In his 2011 memoir Not Dead & Not For Sale, he discussed his drug use and claimed to have done heroin with Courtney Love.
Scott Weiland at the world premiere of Universal’s “The Hulk” at Universal Studios, Universal City, CA 06-17-03
I had the opportunity to meet Stone Temple Pilots in the late 90’s when they played the David O. McKay Center at Utah Valley University. They played an amazing show, and he was one of the best front men I’ve ever seen. He was sassy, knew how to stir the crowd into a frenzy, and delivered a stellar performance. Perhaps you were there and perhaps you saw the show. I also remember seeing them in what was possibly their first Utah performance at Saltair in 1992 or 1993. X96 had conducted the Anything That Floats contest in the Great Salt Lake (I know, gross) and STP played following the event.
Too many of the great musicians from the 90’s have passed away, and Weiland’s death leaves us saddened. Time to get out your old STP CD’s and remember the great songs he gave us.
