By JANE STEVENSON --

Just a few weeks back, it was Aqua's Lene Nystrom who had supposedly overdosed on heroin. That nasty rumor, of course, proved to be false. Nystrom came to Toronto last week to promote Aqua's hot-selling debut, Aquarium.

This week it was Stone Temple Pilots' frontman and recovering heroin addict Scott Weiland who had gone and died, according to the rumor mill at Sunday night's Portishead show at the Warehouse.

Not true, said Warner Music spokesman Steve Waxman.

"He's alive," said Waxman. "The reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated. I think it probably started with somebody at a rival record company. I don't know. It's not doing the rounds in New York or L.A."

Weiland just finished up his as-yet-untitled solo album in L.A. last week -- Canadian producer Daniel Lanois mixed some of the tracks -- and played the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas bash on Friday night at the Universal Amphitheatre.

"Weiland, in leopard print hip-huggers, blended rock and strings in a decadent and psychedelic cabaret that evoked David Bowie and T. Rex," reported USA Today.

For a sample of Weiland's new sound check out Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down, his strange contribution to the Great Expectations soundtrack, which will be in stores on Jan. 13.