Former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland (48) dies

Scott Weiland, the former frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, has died at the age of 48.

The singer’s manager, Tom Vitorino, confirmed the death on Thursday night.

A statement posted to Weiland’s Facebook page said he “passed away in his sleep while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota”.

Weiland's current band, Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts, was scheduled to play at a Medina, Minnesota, concert venue, according to the venue's website. The website showed the event was cancelled.

Weiland was dogged by substance abuse problems throughout his career.

He came to fame as the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning Stone Temple Pilots.

The band was initially slammed by critics as sounding like a knockoff of popular grunge acts like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. But STP, as the band was known, found its fan base with broody melodies and memorable riffs.

In September 1992, the band released its first studio album, “Core,” which included the hits “Plush” and “Creep.” The band’s second album, “Purple,” released two years later, contained “Vasoline” and “Interstate Love Song.”

Together, the two albums sold 14 million copies in the United States.

The band broke up in 2003 and Weiland went on to front Velvet Revolver, whose members included former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. Among that group’s hits was Fall to Pieces.

The Stone Temple Pilots eventually reunited in 2008 before breaking up again in 2013.

Weiland was born Scott Richard Kline in San Jose, California, on October 27th, 1967.

PA