Troubled rocker Scott Weiland died of an accidental overdose in December of 2015 while on tour with his band The Wildabouts. In addition to having fronted the Stone Temple Pilots, earlier in the year he’d recorded some tracks with Los Angeles’ Art of Anarchy, a band he’d already written off as a scam by the time he died. Art of Anarchy continued on with another troubled Scott on vocals, Creed’s Scott Stapp.
The band are back with a new album, and Stapp was profiled by GQ about his new band and his sobriety, which he says has lasted for two years now. Stating that Weiland disavowing Art of Anarchy allowed them to reach out to him to join the band, Stapp said that while he was still touring with his solo band, he wound up in he same bus that Weiland died in, and was visited by his ghost:
“All of a sudden, it was almost like Weiland speaking to me from the grave, man. It was a very weird feeling that I felt. I remember being in the bathroom, looking in the mirror, on the bus, and really feeling like I could hear or feel him saying, ‘Dude, this could have been you. And this could be you if you continue that path. Don’t do what I did. Don’t go down that road.’ And, literally, I’m having this moment.”
Did you feel like you could see him?
“No. God rest his soul, and my family has prayed for his family and his children, but really it was a crazy, mystical experience. It was just in my face, man. I had my moment of, like, Dude, he’s speaking to me, man. Almost as if, from my standpoint, in my life and in my recovery, his death was not in vain. Not only could that have been me, that should have been me. It was just one of those weird things that kinda, like, the stars aligned, the universe arranged itself at the right time to further impact me and further solidify my commitment to my recovery. It was definitely one of those God moments. I get goosebumps right now just talking about it. It was a God moment.”
Well, that’s something. If it helps keep him sober, so be it. He’s certainly had some issues in the past.
