Stone Temple Pilots Lead Singer Scott Weiland Found dead

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Dec. 4 (UPI) — Scott Weiland, lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, was found dead Thursday night. He was 48.

The talented but troubled singer famously battled drug addiction his entire career. Weiland was found dead on his tour bus around 9 p.m., shortly before he and his current band the Wildabouts were due on stage at the Medina Entertainment Center in Hamel, Minnesota.

His Facebook page announced his death, but did not disclose a cause. “At this time we ask that the privacy of Scott’s family be respected.”

Weiland’s manager Tom Vitorino also confirmed his death.

Born in Santa Cruz, Calif., Weiland formed his first famous band, Stone Temple Pilots, with brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo and were hugely successful in the 1990s with the band’s debut album Core in 1993. The following year, their second album, Purple, went no. 1.

STP had 11 hits reach the Top 10 of the rock charts, sell 13.5 million records and Weiland would become renown for his growling baritone.

The band would break up and re-form several times before Weiland joined former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagen and Matt Sorum for his next famous band, Velvet Revolver. Their two albums sold 2.4 million copies.

But Weiland’s drug addiction provided him many unwanted headlines.

He was convicted of buying crack cocaine in 1995 and sentenced to probation. He was arrested for driving under the influence in 2003 and again in 2007. Weiland’s heroin use forced him to check himself into rehab in 2007, but he failed to complete the program.