KELLY A. SWIFT/startraksphoto.comScott Weiland, former singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, was found dead in Bloomington, Minn., Thursday, E! News confirms. The singer was 48.
At 8:22 p.m. local time, Bloomington police officers responded to a report of an unresponsive adult male in a recreational motor vehicle outside of a hotel. Once they arrived on the scene, officers determined that he was deceased. E! News later confirmed with the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office that it has the body of a deceased male with the name of Scott Weiland. An autopsy has not been scheduled and his cause of death has yet to be determined.
Weiland's death was also confirmed via his official Facebook page. "Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his band The Wildabouts," a post published early Friday morning read. "At this time we ask that the privacy of Scott's family be respected." His wife, Jamie Wachtel, also told The Los Angeles Times, saying, "I can't deal with this right now...It's true."
Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts were scheduled to tour later this month, with concerts scheduled for Dec. 18 in Reno, Nev., and Dec. 19 in Napa, Calif.
Stone Temple Pilots was one of the most successful grunge bands of the 1990s. Its debut album, Core, sold more than 8 million copies in the U.S. The band's hits include ''Interstate Love Song" and "Plush," which won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal in 1993.
Throughout his career, Weiland had multiple drug- and alcohol-related arrests and did stints in rehab. In 1995, he was arrested after police officers found him with crack and heroin. He pleaded guilty to felony heroin possession in 1998. The musician's substance abuse issues forced the Stone Temple Pilots to cancel tour dates and factored into the band's 2003 breakup.
After the band broke up, Weiland joined former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum and former Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner to create a supergroup, Velvet Revolver. Weiland quit in 2008 to join the reunited Stone Temple Pilots. Five years later, however, Stone Temple Pilots announced that he had been fired from the band he helped start.
Weiland had many loves throughout his life. He married Janina Castaneda in 1994, but the couple divorced in 2000. Weiland married model Mary Forsberg in 2000, but a year later, he was arrested on domestic violence charges for allegedly shoving his wife. The charges were eventually deferred provided the couple agreed to counseling. Soon after, Forsberg filed for divorce, but the couple eventually reconciled. They have two children: Noah, 15, and Lucy, 13.
In 2011, Weiland released his autobiography, Not Dead & Not For Sale.
In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Weiland announced that he was engaged to Wachtel. They got married the following year.
As news of Weiland's death spread throughout the music community Thursday and Friday, many of the musician's friends and famous fans expressed their grief via social media:
In a statement released Friday, Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, expressed his condolences. "Two-time Grammy Award winner Scott Weiland was a grunge icon and a true modern day, rock and roll frontman. From the massive success he achieved as the original lead vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots to his work with rock supergroup Velvet Revolver and his most recent venture with the Wildabouts, Scott's extraordinary talent and captivating performances will forever live on and inspire legions of rock fans worldwide," he said. "We have lost an innovative member of our creative community and our sincerest condolences go out to Scott's family, friends, collaborators and all who have been impacted by his incredible work."
—Reporting by Holly Passalaqua