The former 'X Factor' competitor made his debut as the veteran rock group's front man.
Filling the front man slot for Stone Temple Pilots in 2017 is a daunting task. The group, which scaled the heights of mega-rock stardom in the 1990s through the aughts, has seen its fair share of internal strife -- particularly the firing of front man Scott Weiland in 2013 and replacing him with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington -- turned public tragedy when the former passed away in Dec. 2015, less than a month after the latter returned to his flagship band.
After searching for a new lead singer with an online audition process, the band faced more tragedy this past July when Bennington committed suicide, leaving the future of Pilots even more in question. It helps explain the air of secrecy surrounding Pilots’ return to the stage last night (Nov. 14) at Los Angeles’ famed Troubadour, when surviving members Dean DeLeo (guitar), his brother Robert (bass/backing vocals) and Eric Kretz (drums) unveiled their new singer in front of a crowd of industry insiders and dedicated fans eager to see the addition to the iconic band. (Adding to exclusivity: the club forcing attendees to put their phones in locked bags for the entirety of the show, though cameramen were on hand to capture the debut.)