Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland was found dead in his tour bus last night at the age of 48. The singer was on tour with his current band, The Wildabouts, when a crew member discovered his body on the bus at a hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Authorities were alerted just before 9 PM local time, and pronounced Weiland dead upon arrival. The troubled musician's death was later confirmed by both his wife, Jamie and his manager, Tom Vitorino. Authorities noted that it would take several weeks before an official cause of death will be released, but sources close to Weiland say it was almost certainly the result of a drug overdose, as he had a long history of drug-related arrests and rehab stints. Earlier this week, Weiland sat down for an interview with Canadian television personality Todd Shapiro, offering incoherent responses, often only able to give one-word answers. Check out that interview in the YouTube clip below.
Scott Weiland helped thrust the Stone Temple Pilots into the national spotlight in the early 1990s, releasing five Top 10 albums between 1992 and 2001. The band went on hiatus in 2002, and Weiland formed Velvet Revolver with several members of Guns n' Roses, including Slash. His drug problems were evident throughout his career, as numerous concert appearances were canceled because Weiland couldn't perform. In 1997, STP even had to cancel an entire string of tour dates after Weiland was arrested for heroin possession. The singer had multiple arrests during his career, and entered court-ordered rehab programs multiple times. STP reunited in 2008, but the other members fired Weiland again in 2012, bringing in Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington for the band's latest album. The singer claimed to be drug- and alcohol-free last year, but observers at numerous shows in recent months have revealed that he appeared to still be using.
Scott Weiland is survived by his wife, Jamie Weiland, whom he married in June, 2013. He also had two children with his previous wife, Mary Forsberg. With Forsberg, Weiland had a son, Noah, in 2000; and a daughter, Lucy, in 2002.
