Stone Temple Pilots
From ArticleWorld
Stone Temple Pilots was an alternative rock band that formed in 1990 by frontman Scott Weiland and bandmate Robert DeLeo. Weiland and DeLeo met at a Black Flag concert. Coincidentally, they found out that they were dating the same woman and, instead of fight over her, they became friends and decided to start a band. DeLeo convinced his brother Dean to join the band and recruited Eric Kretz to play drums for them.
Beginning
In 1992, the band signed with Atlantic Records when a booking agent named Don Mullins saw them perform at the Whisky in Los Angeles. When the band first formed in 1990, they went by the name Mighty Joe Young but had to change it when their lawyer called and revealed that a blues musician who already had the name. They decided to change it to Shirley Temple Pussy but the record label pushed against it. They decide to keep the initials STP and changed the name to Stone Temple Pilots. They released their first album, Core, in September of '92. Thought the album provided the band with numerous hit songs including Sex Type Thing, Plush, and Creep, critics dismissed them. Many said that they were just trying to ride the grunge wave made popular by many Seattle musicians like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Albums and drugs
STP released their second studio album entitled Purple in 1994. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Music charts and remained in the top spot for three weeks. In 1995, Weiland took on a side project with Magnificent Bastards. That year he also got involved with heroin. In May of that year, Weiland was arrested for possession of crack cocaine and heroin. He was sentenced to one year's probation and Scott seemed to be focused on the band because during the probationary period, STP recorded their third album Tiny Music Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. The album failed to be a commercial success even though critics hailed it as one of their best. Weiland continued his drug use and was ordered to enter a rehabilitation facility. He was released in November and began touring with the band. He went back into rehab - a move that fueled rumors of a breakup.
1997-present
STP took a hiatus in 1997 and in September of that year, Weiland recorded a solo album, Twelve bar Blues which failed to generate sales. His band mates worked on a project as well. The formed the band Talk Show and released and album. Their album failed to impress fans as well. In 1999, after STP reunited, they release their album No. 4. Soon after its release, Weiland went to jail for violating probation. In 2001, they released their fifth album, Shangri-La Dee Da. In 2003 a greatest hits album, Thank You, was released. Currently, Weiland and some former members of Guns 'n' Roses formed a band called Velvet Revolver. Robert and Dean DeLeo formed the band Army of Anyone with Richard Patrick, former Filter frontman. Finally, drummer Eric Kretz currently plays for the Spiralarms.