Weiland's Behind-The-Bars Blues

Having the law on your ass on just one coast wouldn't be very rock 'n' roll, now would it? And if it ain't rock 'n' roll, it ain't Scott Weiland. The equal opportunity alleged drug offender and singer now faces separate court dates in Los Angeles and New York within two weeks of each other.

In the latest chapter of the legally challenged Solo Temple Pilot's book of blues, Weiland has an August 12 date with the Los Angeles County Superior Court following his arrest Tuesday for an outstanding warrant. The warrant had been issued on July 9 after Weiland failed to appear in court to answer charges of felony possession of heroin and misdemeanor possession of a hypodermic needle, for which he was arrested in September. If the singer is convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of three years in the slammer.

Following his arrest at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in a neighborhood west of downtown L.A., Weiland spent the night in jail and was released yesterday morning on $250,000 bail. Although the L.A.P.D. have not disclosed further details on the arrest, rumor has it that an officer recognized the embattled singer on the street and made the arrest. Calls to Weiland's lawyer and manager were not returned Thursday morning. His Atlantic Records publicist says that a statement has not yet been issued.

The Los Angeles arrest for heroin and needle possession is not to be confused with Weiland's arrest on a charge of purchasing $100 worth of heroin in New York on June 1, hours before a solo performance at Manhattan's Irving Plaza. He is due to appear in court for that hearing on July 31.

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

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