Mark McGrath on Scott Weiland: "He was romanced by the whole idea of addiction"
Mark McGrath opened up about the death of Scott Weiland on Tuesday on the "Allegedly" podcast with hosts Theo Von and Matthew Cole Weiss.
During the chat, the Sugar Ray frontman offered some insight into life of the late Stone Temple Pilots frontman, whom he had gotten to know over the years.
"It's the old cliche, you can't help someone who doesn't want to help himself. Scott was resigned to his belief. His heroes all went through their thing, and I think he was romanced by the whole idea of addiction," McGrath said.
"He always has been," he added. "He told me, himself. It was more the routine of shooting up and copping and all that, as well. It was the lifestyle and all his heroes did -- it was Iggy Pop, or Johnny Thunders. He lived it. He was a real dynamic and true artist in all the sense and unfortunately sometimes that's part of the package."
Weiland died in his sleep earlier this month while on a tour stop with his band the Wildabouts in suburban Minneapolis. Police said investigators found small amounts of cocaine on Weiland's tour bus. He had battled addiction for years.
After his death, tributes poured in for the singer on social media. His ex-wife wrote an essay for Rolling Stone last week in which she asked fans not to "glorify" his death.