First published 2011
Scott Weiland opens his story in the early 1990s when Stone Temple Pilots ruled the music world, overtaking giants like Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses on MTV and Billboard charts. The frontman traces his path from childhood as an altar boy through his first encounters with sex and drugs. He examines his complicated family relationships with parents, stepfather, and siblings while detailing his romance with Mary Forsberg Weiland. Weiland recounts the creation of his most famous songs and describes witnessing the birth of grunge music during what Rolling Stone called "the year punk broke." He chronicles STP's implosion and his descent into drug addiction and rehab cycles. The narrative follows his comebacks with Velvet Revolver, solo projects, and eventual Stone Temple Pilots reunion. Throughout his struggles with addiction, Weiland maintains his roles as father and creative artist. This memoir captures the raw reality of rock stardom.
Genres: addiction, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, music
Vibes: emotional, intimate, raw
Tropes: personal-struggle, redemption
Period: 1990s
238 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use