Not Dead & Not for Sale: A Memoir

Scott Weiland

May 2011 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

In the early 1990s, Stone Temple Pilots—not U2, not Nirvana, not Pearl Jam— was the hottest band in the world. STP toppled such mega-bands as Aerosmith and Guns N’ Roses on MTV and the Billboard charts. Lead singer Scott Weiland became an iconic front man in the tradition of Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Robert Plant.

Then, when STP imploded, it was Weiland who emerged as the emblem of rock star excess, with his well-publicized drug busts and trips to rehab. Weiland has since made a series of stunning comebacks, fronting the supergroup Velvet Revolver, releasing solo work, and, most recently, reuniting with Stone Temple Pilots. He still struggles with the bottle, but he has prevailed as a loving, dedicated father, as well as a business-savvy artist whose well of creativity is far from empty.

These earthling papers explore Weiland’s early years as an altar boy right along with his first experiences with sex and drugs. Weiland discusses his complex relationships with his parents, stepfather, siblings, and the love of his life, Mary Forsberg Weiland. Readers learn the fascinating stories behind his most well-known songs and what it was like to be there at the beginning of the grunge phenomenon, as Rolling Stone proclaimed on its cover: “the year punk broke.” Not Dead & Not for Sale is a hard rock memoir to be reckoned with—a passionate, insightful, and at times humorous book that reads with extraordinary narrative force.

Ratings and reviews

This is NOT one of the better ones. Read Walk This Way by Aerosmith (they used Howard Stern's amazing 1st bio as a guide), GNR bios by Slash or Duff (not Axle's), Greg Allman's, etc. to get a feel for some good reads. Unfortunately, Scott's bio does not reach the same caliber.

With Scott Weiland's passing.. I decided to buy this..it was intriguing to read about the darkness and demons that he dealt with. I wish it would have been a little longer.. I read it in 2 hours(although I am a fast reader) Overall, pretty good book, recommended for any Scott fan!

Scott glosses over so everything. Lots of pictures and song lyrics make this a really quick read. It's sad because you can sense that he doesn't take his addiction seriously enough.

About the author

Scott Weiland has been nominated for six Grammys, winning two along with numerous MTV, Billboard, and American Music Awards. His work with Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver has sold more than 40 million records. In May 2010, Stone Temple Pilots released a highly-anticipated self-titled album, immediately the #1 rock album in the country.

David Ritz is a songwriter who has collaborated with stars like Janet Jackson and Marvin Gaye, as well as a renowned ghostwriter who has authored more than fifty books for some of the biggest stars in music: Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Perry, Smokey Robinson, Don Rickles, and Willie Nelson, to name a few. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Essence, People, Art Connoisseur, and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles with Roberta, his wife of nearly fifty years.