Stone Temple Pilots Fire Frontman Scott Weiland
The band releases a terse one-sentence statement announcing that the singer has been “officially terminated.” Weiland’s response: “That’s something for the lawyers to figure out.” Stone Temple Pilots have fired singer Scott Weiland. The band, which Weiland co-founded and has fronted since 1986, announced the news in a terse one-sentence press release Wednesday morning that read: “Stone Temple Pilots have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland.”
The multiplatinum rock band, which re-formed in 2008 after a five-year hiatus, provided no other information or explanation for the news, and it’s unclear what prompted the announcement. It also is unclear whether STP’s Robert and Dean DeLeo and Eric Kretz will pursue a new singer.
Rumors of discontent within the group began a few months ago when Slash — who played with Weiland in Velvet Revolver — said in an interview that Weiland had been fired. On Tuesday, Weiland countered the news in an interview with Rolling Stone. “STP has not broken up,” the singer said. “I haven’t quit. I haven’t been fired. No one has ever fired anybody in STP.”
Weiland added: “We’re like a family. It’s also a partnership. I started the band. We’ve always kept things going. We’ve taken time off before. They’ve done their own projects, and I fully support that. No one has been fired, and I haven’t quit. That’s all hearsay.”
His statements clearly contradict Wednesday’s news from the band. Weiland, who is scheduled to embark on a 17-date solo tour of U.S. clubs March 1 in Flint, Mich., later released a statement in response:
“I learned of my supposed ‘termination’ from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press,” Weiland wrote on Facebook. “Not sure how I can be ‘terminated’ from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that’s something for the lawyers to figure out. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing all of my fans on my solo tour which starts this Friday.”
The band has yet to offer any further clarification on their initial announcement.
Source: Hollywood Music Reporter
