Rock singer Scott Weiland dead at 48
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scott Weiland, the former lead singer of a number of rock bands, including Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, died in his sleep Thursday night. He was 48.
A message on Weiland's official Facebook page said he had died in Bloomington, Minn. while on tour a tour stop with his latest band, Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts. The Associated Press reported the band was scheduled to play a concert in nearby Medina Thursday. The venue's website showed the concert had been canceled.
Weiland's manager, Tom Vitorino, told the Associated Press he had learned of Weiland's death from the singer's tour manager, but did not provide further details.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TMZ obtained an audio tape of first responders reporting to the scene of Weiland's death. In the tape, the first responders state Weiland was dead upon their arrival.
Click here to listen to the audio tape
Weiland fronted one of the most successful grunge bands of the 1990s in Stone Temple Pilots, but was also dogged by problems with substance abuse throughout his career.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police said they found "a small quantity" of cocaine Friday during a search of the the bedroom of the tour bus where Weiland was found dead.
Investigators say they also found a small amount of cocaine elsewhere in the bus and arrested a California man who was traveling with Weiland. The man hasn't been charged.
Police released no additional information on Weiland's cause of death, saying it would be released by the local coroner.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stone Temple Pilots' 1992 debut, "Core," has sold more than 8 million units in the United States. Their hits include "Vasoline," ''Interstate Love Song" and "Plush," which won a Grammy in 1993 for best hard rock performance with vocal.
This April 30, 2010 file photo shows the Stone Temple Pilots, from left, Dean Deleo, Eric Kretz, Robert Deleo, and Scott Weiland from the band Stone Temple Pilots, pose for a portrait in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP)
Amid the successes, Weiland had a long string of drug and alcohol related arrests and stints in rehab. In 1995, he was arrested after deputies found him carrying crack and heroin. He pleaded guilty to felony heroin possession in 1998. And his arrests for drug possession and stints in rehab led the Stone Temple Pilots to cancel tour dates and contributed to their 2003 breakup.
After the band split, Weiland joined former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum and former Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner to form the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Weiland departed Velvet Revolver in 2008 to join the reunited Stone Temple Pilots.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The story's not finished," Weiland told The Associated Press at the time. "There's more to be revealed and more to be told."
But in February 2013, Stone Temple Pilots announced on its website that Weiland had been fired from the band. In a statement to FOX411 at the time, Weiland said, "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 2011, Weiland released his autobiography,"Not Dead & Not For Sale". The title was taken from the lyrics of "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart", one of Stone Temple Pilots' best-known songs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.