The Stone Temple Pilots' Singer Scott Weiland Has Died

Scott Weiland, the charismatic singer known for fronting the Stone Temple Pilots and the supergroup Velvet Revolver, was found dead Thursday evening on a tour bus in Minnesota. At the time of death, the vocalist was on the road with his band Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts.

Originally written off in the 90s for being an Eddie Vedder wannabe, Weiland and the Stone Temple Pilots managed to transcend the "fake grunge" critiques hurled at them after the release of their debut album, Core, by wholly embracing the tropes of big rock 'n' roll without any reservation.

With songs like "Big Empty," which appeared on STP's six-times platinum sophomore album Purple, Weiland channeled the unrepentant rockstar in his inner-spirit. It certainly wasn't as original as Sonic Youth or as subversive Nirvana or as emotive as Pavement, but it was big and bold and badass for anyone old enough to have seen The Crow in theaters.

Although Weiland enjoyed multi-platinum success with Stone Temple Pilots, the California native's career was plagued with drug and alcohol abuse. He claimed to have been to rehab 13 times between 1995 and 1997 and his status within his band was constantly in up in the air—engagements and tours were regularly postponed or outright canceled.

This fight with drugs continued into the new millennium, following him during the formation of Velvet Revolver, his supergroup with members of Guns N' Roses, which released two platinum albums and performed in arenas. He was kicked out of that band in 2008.

When he passed away, Weiland was on the road supporting his release, Blaster, with his solo band. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, his show in Minneapolis that day had been canceled due to poor ticket sales. Although his death was confirmed by his wife to the Los Angeles Times, the cause is still unknown.

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