About Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989. Originally consisting of Scott Weiland , brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo , and Eric Kretz , the band's lineup remained unchanged from its formation until the firing of Weiland in February 2013. Vocalist Chester Bennington joined the band in May 2013 but left amicably in November 2015. In 2016, the band launched an online audition for a new lead vocalist; they announced Jeff Gutt as the new lead singer on November 14, 2017.
After forming under the name Mighty Joe Young, the band signed with Atlantic Records and changed its name to Stone Temple Pilots. Their debut album, Core, released in 1992, was a major commercial hit, and STP went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 1990s, selling more than 18 million albums in the United States and 40 million worldwide. STP released four more studio albums: Purple , Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop , No. 4 , and Shangri-La Dee Da , before separating in 2003, after which the band members partook in various projects . STP eventually reconvened in 2008 for a reunion tour, released their self-titled sixth album in 2010, and actively toured until Chester Bennington's departure. The band's only material with Bennington was the EP High Rise, in 2013. STP has released two albums with Gutt on vocals: its second self-titled album in 2018 and eighth studio album, Perdida, in 2020.
While initially rising to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, further releases from the band expressed a variety of influences, including psychedelic rock, bossa nova, and classic rock. STP's evolution throughout the 1990s and early 2000s involved periods of commercial highs and lows, brought about in part by Weiland's well-publicized struggles with drug addiction.
Two conflicting stories of how frontman Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo met have been related by the band. One was that they met at a Black Flag concert in Long Beach, California, in 1985. They began discussing their girlfriends, only to realize they were dating the same woman. Instead of letting this come between them, they developed a bond and formed a band after they each subsequently broke it off with the girl. Weiland presented a different version in his autobiography, saying that he and his friends in their band Soi Disant – guitarist Corey Hicock and drummer David Allin – pursued Robert after witnessing him play live at various gigs.
Regardless, Weiland, DeLeo, Hicock and Allin would eventually form a band called Swing. Allin left after a few years. The remaining members saw drummer Eric Kretz play in a Long Beach club and convinced him to join them. Guitarist Hicock eventually left the band in 1989; in need of a replacement and auditioning many guitarists, Robert suggested his older brother, Dean. At the time, Dean was a successful businessman who had left behind his previous musical career but still played guitar as a hobby. The band managed to convince Dean to play for Swing, completing the original STP lineup. Shortly afterwards, the band changed its name to Mighty Joe Young. They recorded a demo tape around 1990. The Mighty Joe Young demo features tracks that would go on to be re-recorded for the band's first studio album, as well as some musical styles that would not be featured on any of STP's studio albums, such as funk and yodeling.
Mighty Joe Young played several gigs in the San Diego area, building up a fanbase. Their first show was supporting Henry Rollins at the Whisky a Go Go. The group then began to work on their debut album with Brendan O'Brien. During the recording, they received a call from their lawyer who informed them that there was a bluesman who had already claimed the name Mighty Joe Young. Inspired by the STP Motor Oil stickers that the band members were fans of in their youth, various ideas on the initials "STP" were shared by the band before they settled on the name "Stone Temple Pilots".
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