Scott Weiland Impostor Played in a Stone Temple Pilots Cover Band
When Jason Michael Hurley was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and shoplifting razors, he fooled police into thinking he was former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland. It might not be the first time he’s played the part either, since Alternative Nation is reporting that Hurley apparently once fronted an STP tribute band named, Stone Tempered Pilots.
In a post on his Facebook page, Hurley wrote about participating in a Stone Temple Pilots tribute show at the Roxy in Hollywood, though, as TMZ noted, the band may not have existed just yet (the gossip site did, however, find photos of Hurley performing live).
In another post on his Facebook, Hurley detailed his various relationships with famous rock stars, including Slash, Dave Navarro, Billy Idol, Courtney Love and more. The validity of his statement, of course, is unconfirmed, though Hurley claimed he’s no stranger at Ozzy Osbourne‘s house, he talks cars with ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons and Juliette Lewis kissed him at a show three years ago.
Hurley was arrested in late July, and following his rock star claims, police even went so far as to issue a press release titled “Celebrity Arrest.” The story was eventually picked up by TMZ, which the real Weiland read before taking to Facebook to set the record straight: “I just got done reading something very interesting, a nice piece of fiction from TMZ, saying that I was in jail and had been for four [weeks],” he said in a video. “I’ve actually been touring, writing and recording my new album. Yeah, this is the studio we’re in right now. So all I have to say to our fans is whether you find it funny or interesting or whether you’re sad, don’t worry, don’t fret, it’s a lie. TMZ, you’ll be hearing from my attorneys.”
While police reiterated that they’d performed a “physical check” and that Weiland was “definitely” in their custody, they eventually issued an apology after performing an FBI fingerprint check (something, it would seem, they should’ve done upon the initial arrest).
The real Weiland was kicked out of Stone Temple Pilots back in February 2013, and has since been embroiled in a number of lawsuits and countersuits, claiming at one point that the band will have to “buy me out of the company.” Along with working on his new material in the studio, Weiland has been performing across the U.S. and Canada this summer.