Biography
As lead singer for the California grunge rock band Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland displayed a magnetic stage presence and muscular voice that propelled the group to stardom in the early 1990s on the strength of such bruising but cathartic songs as "Plush" and "Interstate Love Song." But Weiland's long struggle with drug addiction and personal problems threatened to overshadow his band's numerous accomplishments, and led to his dismissal from the group, as well as from the supergroup Velvet Revolver, which featured Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses. For nearly a decade, Weiland seemed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at every turn, forcing tour cancelations while he contended with jail sentences and stints in rehabilitation. In 2008, he appeared to have vanquished his problems and reunite for a wildly successful world tour with STP while penning a tell-all autobiography. Scott Weiland's twin legacies - as rock superstar and almost-rock casualty - kept his legacy alive for those who celebrated his music while viewing his life as one of the more destructive cautionary tales in the entertainment industry. Sadly, his death on a tour bus just before a gig in Medina, Minnesota on December 3, 2015 ended his career in the tragic way that even some of his biggest fans worried was almost inevitable.
