Dean DeLeo

DeLeo\'s playing has received strong critical acclaim over the years. Stone Temple Pilots\' second album, Purple, released in 1994, was ranked at #73 on Guitar World\'s 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All-time list.\n', ' DeLeo and his younger brother Robert were both born in Montclair, New Jersey and raised in the Jersey Shore community of Point Pleasant Beach. They are the younger half-brothers of late actor Scott Marlowe.\n', ' Dean\'s younger brother Robert met future vocalist Scott Weiland at a Black Flag concert. Robert soon after introduced Dean to Scott and an idea of forming a band was brought up. Dean was a guitarist and Robert managed to convince him to join. They eventually hooked up with drummer Eric Kretz, and the band was formed. They took the name Mighty Joe Young, inspired by the movie of the same name. They played gigs in many bars around the Hollywood area, and eventually landed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 1992. However, they were forced to change their name, as the name "Mighty Joe Young" had already been taken by a blues musician. Weiland decided on the name "Stone Temple Pilots"; although he stated that it has no real meaning, he just liked the initials "STP".\n', '