Scott Weiland, best known as the lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, died in his sleep in December 2015 while on a tour stop in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his band The Wildabouts. A medical examiner determined Scott's cause of death to be an accidental overdose.
Guesting on the Appetite For Distortion podcast, Weiland's widow, Jamie Weiland, was asked what she would like to see in regards to her late husband's name moving forward.
Says Jamie, "I feel he really does not have the accolades and the respect and the recognition that he absolutely deserves. I feel like when he died everybody was kind of like 'that's tragic, but of course he overdosed,' which he didn't fucking overdose, which I try to get that point across. He didn't. Because he had drugs in his system, the coroner had to rule it in overdose but the truth is Scott died because the main artery in his left ventricle was 95% blocked. That came from 10 years of heroin use, that came from an entire adult life of chain smoking. His his heart stopped. Did he have trace amounts of drugs in his system? He did. Did I know he was using? No I didn't, because he lied to me, because I caught him before and it would always be this huge fight, and I would be furious with him to be doing this stuff, but to also lie to me about it. And I remember even talking to the coroner in Minnesota when everything happened and saying like 'how could lied to me about this again,', and the coroner was so kind and he said, 'I think he just really didn't want to disappoint you.'
"But yeah, I really want to clear up - that was not an overdose. It was not. He was not using heroin, he did not overdose on drugs, his heart stopped because his heart had been through so much abuse because of prior drug use in his life and smoking, and heavy drinking."
Earlier this year, the Estate of Scott Weiland and Primary Wave Music, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world, announced their exciting new partnership. Terms of the deal will see the publishing giant partner with Weiland’s estate on the iconic singer and songwriter’s legendary catalog which includes publishing copyrights and recording royalties for all repertoire recorded for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. The agreement also encompasses all songs and recordings Weiland released as a solo artist which include his critically acclaimed debut album, 12 Bar Blues, as well as “Happy” In Galoshes, Blaster, and the Christmas release, The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.
In this new partnership, Primary Wave will now share in name, image and likeness rights with the estate and will provide access to the company’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film & television projects.
Weiland has been referred to as a “powerful singer and charismatic front man”, but the musician also penned some of the biggest hits in music across his incomparable career. Many of those songs are included in this new partnership such as “Creep,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Plush,” “Vasoline” and others, which he recorded and wrote while with Stone Temple Pilots. Stone Temple Pilots became one of the most successful rock bands in the 90’s and went on to sell more than 40 million albums worldwide. Weiland’s catalog includes 16 Top Ten singles, 8 of which went to number one. The band would receive four Grammy nominations, winning in 1994 for “Best Hard Rock Performance.”
Weiland’s time with Velvet Revolver was also incredibly successful and produced such hits as “Slither,” “Fall To Pieces,” “The Last Fight” and more. The band’s 2004 debut, Contraband, debuted at number 1 on Billboard’s Top 200, making it the best-ever debut for a rock band in the Soundscan era. The album would go on to sell nearly three million copies. Contraband would also receive two Grammy nominations, winning “Best Hard Rock Performance” for their number one single “Slither.”
Weiland also released four solo albums during his exceptional career. 12 Bar Blues, his solo debut, was released in 1998. The album, which many described as avant garde, received raves from press with Rolling Stone saying, “Weiland, out on his own, has simply made an honest album – honest in its confusion, ambition, and indulgence. It was worth the risk.” This past spring, on record store day, 12 Bar Blues made its vinyl debut for the album’s 25th anniversary. The limited-edition release included the original album with newly remastered audio along with three previously unreleased recordings.
In addition to his groundbreaking rock and alternative work was 2011’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. The album features ten Christmas classics including Scott’s take on “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” and more. The album surprised fans and critics but upon listening, both were quickly won over. “The Stone Temple Pilots front man may not be the first name you think of when it comes to Christmas music, but with the release of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Weiland assures us that his holiday credentials are well-established” declared Billboard. Late last year, the album got the vinyl treatment when it was reissued with four previously unreleased tracks including his cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over). This was the first new music to be released from Weiland’s vault since his passing in 2015.
“There are few rock artists that had the impact that Scott Weiland did on music,” said Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music. He goes on, “We are honored to partner with Scott’s family on such a legendary catalog of music and career. Scott’s influence on music is unparalleled and he remains one of the most influential musicians in rock music. We are extremely grateful the estate has chosen to partner with us to continue to grow his incredible legacy.”
“We believe that Primary Wave are the perfect partners to secure Scott’s legacy as one of the great front men in rock history. We look forward to working with Larry, Natalia, Adam, and their teams and believe that their ability to connect artists with culture will ensure that Scott’s impact will be felt for generations,” said Brian Harris Frank of Shelter Music Group and Dana Dufine of DBD Squared Entertainment who manage the Estate.
Natalia Nastaskin, Chief Content Officer at Primary Wave, added, “Scott is the original influencer. The stories behind his undeniably authentic lyrics, effervescent performances, impeccable fashion sense, and meteoric rise to stardom are a filmmaker’s dream. I’m thrilled to work with Scott’s family, as well as Dana and Brian, on expanding and extending Scott’s legacy through new compelling IP projects across film, television, and stage.”
