<P> Scott Richard Weiland (/ ˈwaɪlənd /; né Kline, October 27, 1967--December 3, 2015) was an American musician, singer and songwriter . During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2002 and 2008 to 2013 . He was also a member of supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008 and recorded one album with another supergroup, Art of Anarchy . He also established himself as a solo artist, releasing three studio albums, two cover albums, and collaborations with several other musicians throughout his career . </P> <P> Derided by critics early in his career, Weiland was known for his flamboyant and chaotic onstage persona; he was also known for constantly changing his appearance and vocal style, for his use of a megaphone in concerts for vocal effect, and for his battles with substance abuse . Now widely viewed as a talented and versatile vocalist, Weiland has been ranked in the Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists by Hit Parader (No. 57). </P> <P> In 2012, Weiland formed Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts . The band received mixed reviews, and some critics and fans noted Weiland's failing health . In December 2015, Weiland died of an accidental drug overdose on his tour bus in Minnesota at the age of 48 . Upon his death, many critics and peers offered re-evaluations of Weiland's life and career; those critics included David Fricke of Rolling Stone and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, who identified Weiland as one of three "voices of the generation" alongside Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley . </P> <P> Weiland was born at Kaiser Hospital in San Jose, California, the son of Sharon née Williams and Kent Kline . From his father's side, he was of German descent . At age five his stepfather David Weiland legally adopted him and Scott took his surname . Around that time, Weiland moved to Bainbridge Township, Ohio, where he later attended Kenston High School . He moved back to California as a teenager and attended Edison High School in Huntington Beach and Orange Coast College . Before devoting himself to music full - time, he worked as a paste up artist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal legal newspaper . </P>

Stone temple pilots lead singer cause of death