Scott Weiland Passes Away at 48: We Reflect
Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland has passed away. He was just 48.
An official statement on the matter was published across Weiland’s social media pages. It reads:
“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. At this time we ask that the privacy of Scott’s family be respected.”
Weiland leaves behind wife Jamie Wachtel, as well as children Noah and Lucy.
Weiland’s last album was 2015’s Blaster, which he released with his latest band The Wildabouts.
As tragic as this news is, it’ll likely not be a shock to those who followed Weiland’s career and private life closely.
Weiland had a well-documented history of substance abuse and lately had been criticized for uneven, somewhat disastrous, live performances that led to speculation that he was using again. Weiland would deny those accusations.
From a musical standpoint, Weiland’s Stone Temple Pilots days were his most fruitful, with the band giving rock radio such classics as “Plush,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart” and live shows that once gave Weiland the reputation as one of rock’s most impressive frontmen.
Riffyou.com attended two Weiland shows in 2015 – one at Canadian Music Week (CMW) in May and another at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in August. While the CMW show had great energy, the CNE one was rather concerning as Weiland appeared to be struggling throughout the performance. Sadly, this led to a big chunk of attendees leaving early.
On a personal note, I am gutted by Weiland’s passing. The remarkably underrated Stone Temple Pilots album Tiny Music… is one of my absolute favourite rock albums ever and the body of work the band produced still gives me a rush.
As a fan and a realist, I am also not surprised that we are here today talking about Weiland in the past tense. Unfortunately, it just felt like a matter of time. That doesn’t make this news easier or worth dismissing, but if anything, it allows all fans of Weiland to finally get the feeling that he’s at ease. He’s no longer having to battle the demons that brought him here. He’s no longer having to answer questions about whether his past big bands will reunite. He’s no longer having to hear people slam his existence.
While it is terribly sad to think that Weiland will never have the opportunity to musically impress fans again, what’s worse is that two children lost their father last night. My thoughts are with them today.
-Adam Grant
https://youtu.be/HVPzWkdhwrw
Please be sure to follow us on Twitter @riffyou and at Facebook.com/riffyou.
