After first rocketing to fame as the frontman for grunge-era favorites Stone Temple Pilots, singer Scott Weiland later mounted a solo career. Born October 27, 1967 in Santa Cruz, California, he was raised outside of Cleveland, but moved back to the West Coast at the age of 15, immersing himself in the thriving Orange County punk scene. In 1987 Weiland founded the band Mighty Joe Young with guitarist Robert DeLeo; later rechristened Stone Temple Pilots, the group became one of the biggest acts of the mid-1990s, following the lead of artists like Nirvana and Pearl Jam to top the charts with their angst-ridden hard rock sound. However, their success did not come without a price, and following the group's second LP, 1994's Purple, it was revealed that Weiland had become a heroin addict. After a stay in rehab, he returned to Stone Temple Pilots to record their third record, 1996's Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Giftshop. However, after Weiland suffered a relapse in his ongoing battle with drugs, the group was forced to cancel their upcoming tour; when the other three members subsequently recorded an album with a different singer under the name Talk Show, STP's continued existence appeared shaky at best, and Weiland went solo to record 1998's 12 Bar Blues.
