Birth name Scott Richard Kline
Born October 27, 1967 (age 45)
Origin San Jose, California, U.S.
During a career spanning three decades, Weiland is best known as the frontman for the successful rock band Stone Temple Pilots, as well as the supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008. He has also established himself as a solo artist, releasing three studio albums, a cover album, and collaborations with several other musicians since 1998.
Weiland's onstage persona is known as being flamboyant and chaotic; he is also known for constantly changing his appearance and vocal style, as well as his use of a megaphone in concert for vocal effect. While viewed as a talented and versatile vocalist, Weiland's career has been plagued by substance abuse, as well as several arrests.
Weiland was born as Scott Richard Kline at Kaiser Hospital in San Jose, California. His surname was changed after being adopted by his stepfather David Weiland at age 5. Around that time, Weiland moved to Bainbridge Township, Ohio, where he attended the Kenston School District. He moved to California as a teenager and attended Edison High School in Huntington Beach and Orange Coast College. Weiland revealed in his 2011 autobiography that he was raped at 12 years old by a senior high school student.
While STP went on hiatus after the release of Tiny Music..., Weiland released a solo album in 1998 called 12 Bar Blues. Weiland wrote most of the songs on the album, and collaborated with several artists, notably Daniel Lanois, Sheryl Crow, Brad Mehldau and Jeff Nolan. The album was a commercial failure but it managed to achieve some critical acclaim, with one critic naming it one of the best albums of the 1990s.
In 2006, Weiland launched his own record label, Softdrive Records. Later, Weiland announced that his label signed the up-and-coming rock band, Something to Burn. On December 19, 2008 Weiland signed a publishing deal with Bug Music, allowing Weiland to "receive funding to pursue the development of creative projects and writers for Bug Music through his co-founded label, Softdrive Records." The deal includes Weiland's share of the Stone Temple Pilots catalog and future solo projects.
On January 21, 2009 Weiland announced the launch of his clothing line, Weiland for English Laundry, in partnership with designer Christopher Wicks.
It was announced in March 2009 that VH1 will begin airing new episodes of the popular documentary series Behind the Music, which originally ran from 1997 to 2006. Weiland, along with rapper Lil Wayne, have both signed on for their own episodes.However, for unknown reasons, Weiland's episode has since been indefinitely shelved.
Weiland married Janina Castaneda on September 17, 1994, but the couple divorced in 2000. He married model Mary Forsberg on May 20, 2000. In late 2001 Weiland was arrested on domestic violence charges in Las Vegas, apparently for shoving Mary. However, the charges were eventually deferred upon the couple agreeing to counseling. Soon after, Forsberg filed for divorce but the couple eventually reconciled. They have two young children, Noah (born 2000) and Lucy (born 2002). Weiland and his son Noah were featured on comedian David Spade's The Showbiz Show with David Spade during a comedy sketch about discouraging music file sharing in 2005. Noah has a line during the sketch in which he asks a little girl, "Please buy my daddy's album so I can have food to eat".
In 2006 after an altercation at a hotel, Mary Forsberg went home and torched $10,000 worth of her husband’s clothing in their front yard. In late 2007, Weiland and Forsberg divorced. Despite this, both Scott and Mary have stated they remain friends. In a 2007 interview with Blender Magazine, Weiland mentioned that he is a practicing Catholic.
Weiland has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, yet according to an interview with VH1.com, he is not under medication, consequently suffering from mood swings.
Weiland is a Notre Dame football fan, as his stepfather is an alumnus. In September 2006, Weiland performed at the University of Notre Dame's Legends Restaurant on the night before a football game. He sang several of his solo songs, as well as "Interstate Love Song" and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here."
Weiland's autobiography, Not Dead & Not for Sale, co-written with David Ritz, was released May 17, 2011.
In a November 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Weiland revealed that he is engaged to photographer Jamie Wachtel, whom he met while filming the music video for his version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" in 2011. He stated that the two plan to be married in spring 2013.
In a 2005 interview with Esquire, Weiland stated that while performing in his first bands as a teenager, his drinking "escalated" and he began using cocaine for the first time, which he referred to as a "sexual" experience.
In 1994, Weiland developed a heroin addiction during a STP tour with Butthole Surfers, claiming that his first experiences with heroin were with Butthole Surfers lead singer Gibby Haynes.
In 1995, Weiland was caught and convicted of buying crack cocaine. He was sentenced to one year's probation. Issues with drug use did not clear up after his sentence. As his drug problems increased, Weiland moved into a hotel room for two months next door to Courtney Love and claimed to have "shot drugs the whole time" with her.
In 1998 Weiland was caught in Manhattan buying heroin, dressed like a pimp, ending his brief tour. A previous conviction in Los Angeles, coupled with numerous probation violations, earned Weiland jail time.
Weiland was arrested on his birthday on October 27, 2003 in Hollywood, California, after a traffic collision. He was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. His charges were eventually dismissed after he successfully completed rehab and subsequent drug tests.
In December 2007 Weiland was arrested and charged with DUI, his first arrest in over four years (since October 27, 2003). On February 7, 2008, Weiland checked into rehab and left in early March.
On April 28, 2008, Weiland was sentenced to 192 hours in county jail for his November 2007 DUI. He was also required to complete an 18-month alcohol program, as well as pay $2000 in fines, and will be on probation for four years. Weiland entered a Los Angeles County jail on May 12, but was released later that same day.
Weiland's younger brother Michael died of a drug overdose in early 2007. The Velvet Revolver songs "For a Brother" and "Pills, Demons, & Etc" from the album Libertad are about Michael. Weiland stated in an interview with MTV News in November 2008 that several songs on "Happy" in Galoshes were inspired by the death of his brother and his separation from Mary. In the same article, MTV News reported that Weiland has not done heroin since December 5, 2002. Weiland also admitted that he went through "a very short binge with coke" in late 2007.Weiland admitted in 2008 that he still drinks alcohol.
Weiland was found dead on his tour bus on December 3, 2015, in Bloomington, Minnesota, before he and his band The Wildabouts were scheduled to go on stage. He was 48. Police searched Weiland's tour bus and confirmed there were small amounts of cocaine in the bedroom where Weiland was discovered dead.[100][101] Police also found prescription drugs including Xanax, Buprenorphine, Ziprasidone, Viagra, and sleeping pills on the tour bus.
Despite the discovery of drugs, no underlying cause of death was immediately given, although the medical examiner later determined it to be an accidental overdose of cocaine, alcohol, and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA); the examiner's office also noted his atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, history of asthma, and prolonged substance abuse in its report.
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