12 Bar Blues

Background:

Rock singer Scott Weiland gained fame when he fronted the Grammy Award-winning rock band "Stone Temple Pilots," with whom he released the multi-platinum albums "Core" (1992), "Purple" (1994), "Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop" (1996) and "No. 4" (1999). Weiland, who is known for his flamboyant energetic onstage persona and vocal style, also released a solo album titled "12 Bar Blues" (1998).

The rocker, who has had a long battle with heroin addiction, later left the band and joined the Grammy Award-winning hard rock group "Velvet Revolver," with whom he released the albums "Contraband" (2004) and "Libertad" (2007). After four years with the band, he was fired in 2008.

Weiland was recently reunited with "Stone Temple Pilots" in a reunion tour that was kicked off at the Rock on the Range festival on May 17, 2008. Weiland, who has his own record label, Softdrive Records, also revealed that he planned to release a second solo album and is writing his autobiography with David Ritz.

This 5' 10 troubled rocker, who is known for changing his appearance, ranked #91 on VH1's “100 Sexiest Artists.” He has been married twice and has two children.

High School Quarterback

Childhood and Family;

Born Scott Kline on October 27, 1967, in Santa Cruz, California, Scott Richard Weiland received his present name at age 5 after his stepfather, David Weiland, adopted him. Afterward, he moved to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where he attended school in the Kenston School District. He returned to California at age 15 and attended Edison High School in Huntington Beach, where he was the quarterback for the school's football team and a member of the school's choir.

On September 17, 1994, Weiland married Janina Castenada, but they divorced in February 2000. That same year, on May 21, he married model Mary Forsberg who gave him one son, Noah Mercer Weiland (born on November 19, 2000), and one daughter, Lucy Olivia Weiland (born on July 20, 2002). In late 2001, Weiland was arrested in Las Vegas for shoving Forsberg. They agreed to counseling and the case was dropped. Soon after, Forsberg filed for divorce but the couple eventually reconciled.

In an interview, Weiland stated that he suffers from bipolar disorder, but does not take medication for the disorder so he goes through manic and depressive episodes. His younger brother, Michael, died of a drug overdose and The Velvet Revolver songs "For a Brother" and "Pills, Demons, & Etc" from the album "Libertad" are about him. Around 1998, Weiland, who is good friends with grunge artist Jason Corkum, had a brief friendship with Courtney Love and admitted they used drugs together. Weiland was caught using heroin in the summer of 1996 and has since been arrested several times.

"I wish I could live in the dream that I fly on tarred & feathered wings." Scott Weiland

Stone Temple Pilots

Career:

"People that are affected by music are affected for innocent reasons, because something makes them feel something." Scott Weiland

Initially planning to pursue an acting career, Scott Weiland, whose idol and biggest influence is Jim Morrison, began performing punk in California's Orange County at age 15. Around 1986, he formed the band "Mighty Joe Young" with bassist Robert DeLeo, DeLeo's brother Dean on guitar and Eric Kretz on drums. They recorded a demo tape in 1990 and after signing with Atlantic Records, the band changed their name to "Shirley Temple's Pu**y" because they discovered the name "Mighty Joe Young" was already taken. They later changed the name to "Stone Temple Pilots."

"Sing the song or keep it inside." Scott Weiland

With Weiland as song writer and vocalist of the band, "Stone Temple Pilots" released their first album, "Core" (1992). The 8x platinum album becomes the band's best-selling record and one of the best-selling albums of all time in the United States. It spawned the hit singles "Plush," which won a Grammy Award in 1993, "Creep," "Sex Type Thing," and "Wicked Garden."

They followed it up with their second record, "Purple" (1994), which propelled the hit singles "Vasoline," "Interstate Love Song" and "Big Empty," which was featured on "The Crow" soundtrack. Just like the band's first album, this one was also a success and was certified 6x platinum.

After returning from rehab (heroin addiction and convicted of buying crack cocaine in 1995), Weiland rejoined the band and recorded their third record, "Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Giftshop" (1996). Because of his ongoing drug case, the band was forced to cancel most of their 1996-1997 tour for the album, which hurt the album’s exposure. It was only certified 2x platinum.

The other three members of the album subsequently recorded an album under the name "Talk Show" with a different singer, Dave Coutts. Weiland also went solo in 1998, releasing an album titled "12 Bar Blues" in which he collaborated with several artists, notably Daniel Lanois, Sheryl Crow, Brad Mehldau and Jeff Nolan. Released on Atlantic Records, the album was a commercial failure, but achieved some critical acclaim. The album produced the singles "Barbarella" and "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" and rose to #42 on The Billboard 200. Around that same time, Weiland, who had a previous conviction in Los Angeles, coupled with numerous probation violations, was caught in Manhattan buying heroin. He ended his brief tour by going to prison.

Once released from prison, Weiland rejoined "Stone Temple Pilots" and they released their fourth album "No. 4." (1999). It contained the hit singles "Sour Girl," which featured a strange, surreal music video with Sarah Michelle Gellar, and "Down," which was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards.

"It's a beautiful thing to be that committed to something that you get so much joy from, but it is like a sick addiction because sometimes it's incredibly volatile, incredibly painful, and very frustrating. A man shouldn't be defined by his work, but I am." Scott Weiland

Meanwhile, Weiland recorded two songs with the short-lived group "The Wondergirls." He also did vocals on two "Doors" songs "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" and "Five To One" in November 2000 when he was invited to perform on VH1’s "Storytellers" with the surviving members of "The Doors."

On his birthday, on October 27, 2003, after the breakup of "Stone Temple Pilots," Weiland was arrested in Hollywood, California, and charged with DUI. His charges were eventually dismissed after he successfully completed rehab and subsequent drug tests. Weiland then joined former "Guns N' Roses" Duff McKagan, Slash and Matt Sorum, as well as Dave Kushner from the band "Velvet Revolver." They released the debut album "Contraband" in 2004 through RCA Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and received multi-platinum certification worldwide. Two of the album's songs, "Slither" and "Fall to Pieces," peaked at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song "Slither" also won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal in 2005.

Weiland launched his own record label, Softdrive Records, in 2006. The following year, "Velvet Revolver" released their second album, "Libertad," which was not as successful as their previous album. To make things worse, the band's Australian tour, which had initially been postponed for two months, had to be canceled after Weiland was arrested and charged with DUI in December 2007.

After arguments with "Velvet Revolver" band members, Weiland was fired. He was then reunited with his old band, "Stone Temple Pilots," and fronted them in a reunion tour that kicked off the Rock on the Range festival on May 17, 2008.

Recently, Weiland revealed that he planned to release a second solo album recorded by Steve Albini and featuring "No Doubt’s” Adrian Young on drums. He has also confirmed he is writing his autobiography with David Ritz.

"You are only as big as your experiences." Scott Weiland

Awards:

• Grammy: Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal, "Slither," 2005

• Grammy: Best Hard Rock Performance, "Plush," 1994