Scott Weiland, vocalist of bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Art Of Anarchy, passed away in December 2015 from a drug overdose. Ex-Creed vocalist Scott Stapp stepped in to fill Weiland's shoes in Art Of Anarchy in 2016, and has since done an album with the group.
Like Weiland, Stapp has his own share of problems that he's dealt with, such as having successfully completed a stint in rehab and dealing with bipolar disorder. So while it's easy to dismiss Stapp saying Weiland spoke to him from the grave about staying clean as being insane, at least he's finding the encouragement to stay clean. Obviously from an odd place, but whatever works!
Here's what Stapp said in an interview with GQ.
Weiland died of a drug overdose in [2015]. Shortly thereafter, while negotiating to take over Art of Anarchy, Stapp and his backing band rented out a tour bus, only to discover that it was the same bus in which Weiland died. I’ll let Stapp take the story from here:
“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.”
Again – whatever helps Stapp stay clean, be it God or Weiland in a bathroom mirror.
