Scott Stapp
Encyclopedia
Scott Alan Stapp is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist
and lyricist
of the rock band Creed
, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production. In addition to his career as a musician, Stapp had a brief stint as an actor, appearing in the film 30 Days Until I'm Famous, and more recently as an author, currently at work on a book tentatively titled My Confession. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities.
Despite controversy and criticism, Stapp has won numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award
for Creed's song "With Arms Wide Open
" and numerous RIAA certification
s. In 2006, Hit Parader
ranked Stapp as the 68th greatest heavy metal
vocalist of all time.
, to his mother Lynda, a school teacher and his biological father, about whom little is known. He was adopted by Steven Stapp, a dentist who married Scott's mother, and decided to take his stepfather's last name. However, upon realizing that his initials would spell out the word "ass," he took his middle name as his first and took the name he is now known as, Scott Alan Stapp. Stapp grew up in a very religious household because his stepfather was a Pentecostal
minister; when punished, he would be forced to copy passages from the Bible
. At one point, he grew so desperate to seek freedom from the strict rules of his religious stepfather that he sneaked out of his home in the middle of the night and stayed at a friend's house for a month before leaving again for Houston, Texas
where he lived in a squat with eight other runaways doing heroin and sniffing glue before finally returning home. In an attempt to impress his stepfather, he attended Lee University
in Cleveland, Tennessee
, but he was expelled for smoking marijuana. He subsequently attended Valencia Community College
in Orlando, Florida
, Tallahassee Community College
, and finally Florida State University
.
. After developing an acquaintance with his then-future band mate Mark Tremonti
at Lake Highland Preparatory School
in Orlando, Stapp reunited with Tremonti while both attended Florida State University, and they quickly developed a friendship based on their mutual passion for music. Stapp formed Creed with Tremonti in 1995 with fellow members Brian Marshall
and Scott Phillips joining as bassist and drummer, respectively. Rhythm guitarist Brian Brasher was also briefly a member in 1995 when the band was known by its original name, Naked Toddler. While often criticized and parodied, Creed is recognized by many as one of the major acts of the post-grunge
movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Tremonti and Stapp have been collectively recognized as one of the most prolific songwriting teams in all of rock music.
The band released their debut album My Own Prison
in 1997 to mainstream success, selling over six million copies. Four singles were released from the album: "My Own Prison
," "Torn
," "What's This Life For
," and "One
." Each of these songs reached #1 on Billboard
s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, becoming the first band to do so with a debut album. The album was then followed in 1999 by Human Clay
, which was an immediate success and certified diamond
and eleven times platinum by the RIAA
. Tension between Stapp and Marshall began to increase during this time, leading Marshall to ultimately leave the band to pursue other interests. He was temporarily replaced by touring bassist Brett Hestla
, with Tremonti handling the bass parts in the studio. After a tour, the band released another multi-platinum selling album, Weathered
, in 2001. The tour to support this record was overwhelmingly successful but ended with a considerably controversial concert in Chicago that ultimately led to the band's breakup. The band announced that they had disbanded in 2004, citing tension between Stapp and the other members. Creed released their Greatest Hits
in November 2004.
for The Passion of the Christ: Songs
, a collection of tracks inspired by the 2004 Mel Gibson
film The Passion of the Christ
. He then began working on his debut solo album. Titled The Great Divide, the record was released in the U.S. on November 22, 2005, peaking at #19 on the Billboard 200
. "The Great Divide
," "Justify
," and "Surround Me" were released as singles. It was certified platinum
on December 14, 2005. The Great Divide has since reached double platinum. His backing band for the record and live shows since has consisted of Aristides Rincon and John Curry on guitars, Mitch Burman on bass, and Mark Archer on drums. They are all members of the band Goneblind.
In April 2008, Stapp uploaded a cover of "Running to Stand Still
" by U2
to his Myspace page. On August 8, 2008, he posted an acoustic version of "Broken" which was on his previous record. Then on August 10, 2008, Stapp's management announced a new solo project would be released in the second quarter of 2009; however, because of the Creed reunion, the album was put on indefinite hiatus.
, was released in October 2009 and became the band's only album to not be certified by the RIAA. Creed supported the album by touring throughout North and South America, Canada, Europe, and Australia during the summers of 2009 and 2010. A fifth Creed album is expected in late 2011 or early 2012 according to Tremonti.
Stapp announced on his Myspace page after Creed's 20-10 Tour with Skillet
he will embark on a solo acoustic tour. August 18, 2010, he wrote, "I'm stripping down all the Creed hits, as well as my solo material, in a manner fans have never heard before but have long been screaming for." Creed's touring rhythm guitarist Eric Friedman
joined Stapp on the acoustic tour. The short solo acoustic tour began September 28, 2010, and concluded November 20, 2010.
In the spring of 2010, Stapp recorded an anthem for the National League
baseball team the Florida Marlins
titled "Marlins Will Soar," a rewrite of Stapp's song "You Will Soar," using different lyrics and a slightly different melody in the verses. "Marlins Will Soar" was met with extremely negative reviews according to The Huffington Post
. In April 2010, Stapp released (free to fans via scottstapp.com) a new remix of "Broken," featuring rapper Ma$e
, and 2 B-side tracks, "Somber" and "Criminal," from the upcoming solo album.
Stapp appeared on Carlos Santana
's solo album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time
, a cover
album on which Stapp sings on the cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival
song "Fortunate Son
", released September 21, 2010.
, with each disc devoted to the topics of lust
and love
. Stapp told The Salt Lake Tribune
: "It's been the dichotomy of my life over the last three-and-a-half, four years. [It has] characters that describe [my] life and times … It's two sides of the coin." The album will be produced by Stapp with veteran producer Desmond Child
. He has cancelled his Brazilian tour due to illness.
to help the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
in the Plane To Haiti
project, with producer Daniel Catullo
.
" is about their son.
On February 11, 2006, Stapp married Miss New York USA
2004 winner, and children's literature
author, and model
Jaclyn Nesheiwat. Their daughter, Milán Hayat Stapp, was born on January 4, 2007. In May 2010 the couple announced their second child Daniel was due in July 2010. The Stapps welcomed son Daniel Issam Stapp at 3:01 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, 2010. Scott Stapp now has three children (2 sons and 1 daughter). Stapp also has two sisters, Amanda and Amie. Stapp and his family currently reside in Boca Raton
. He is a Christian
.
In July 2002, he was detained by Florida police and charged with reckless driving after he drove his SUV
off the road before swerving back into the proper lane. He was released from custody after posting $500.
He was also arrested February 12, 2006, one day after his second marriage, for suspected intoxication of drugs or alcohol.
On May 20, 2007, he was arrested for domestic abuse
; after returning home after a night of partying, Stapp was questioned by his wife Jaclyn and got defensive and threw a bottle of Orangina
at her. She called the police and her husband was taken into custody and charged with one count of assault
, although he was later set free on supervised release
. Stapp apologized to his wife and the public on May 23, 2007, and the charge was later dropped.
A pornographic video allegedly featuring Stapp and another musician, Kid Rock
, was the source of controversy in the late 1990s. While the intended distributor of the video defended its distribution rights, since it was presumably shot by several different individuals, the case was settled in 2007 in Stapp's favor. The video was said to contain graphic footage of Stapp and Rock participating in sexual acts with Rock's groupies while on their tour bus in 1999, and to be forty-five minutes in length. Stapp later said in an interview that "there's no sex on the sex tape." He also said that he and Kid Rock were friends. He explained, "It's a time in his life and a time in my life that we'd like to put behind us and not publicize because we have children now, and they're in school, and their friends read. I know he was pretty pissed off at me when that came out." He has since apologized to Rock.
In 2003, he contemplated suicide
after drinking a bottle of Jack Daniel's
whiskey. He retrieved two MP5
s from his collection, put the guns to his head, but failed to pull the trigger after looking at a picture of his son Jagger. He stated in an interview with Rolling Stone
that he was convinced that anyone involved with Creed wanted him dead so he would become a "Kurt Cobain
martyr-type" and increase record sales. Says Scott, "I had crazy thoughts going through my head." He later said that instead of killing himself, he fired a few rounds in his home. He said, "I was in the throes of prednisone
coming out of my body [...] I shot a few rounds off and instantly was like, 'What the hell am I doing?' So I put the guns away and ran out to the garage and got the putty and patched the holes."
Despite the controversies, Stapp has since committed himself to "controlling his demons." He shaved his head, which he used to demonstrate his "changed" personality. He said,"I wanted my wife to perceptually and visually see me as changing, that I was not what I used to be." Stapp's Creed band mate, guitarist Mark Tremonti
, said that he was "surprised as hell at Scott's new attitude towards music and life in general." Tremonti elaborated, saying: "It seems as though, over the last six years, he'd done a lot of maturing and reflecting; he has his head on straight. And he realizes how truly important Creed was to him. Not just as a monetary enterprise, but as a band, a group of people. Creed was an important thing for him to be a part of. Right there, in our first meeting, he made us realize that we felt the same way." He stated in another interview, "From the second we started playing again, he was very complimentary towards what we were all doing musically. He had a lot of nice things to say about my guitar playing, and to hear him say to Brian [Marshall] that he thought he was a great bass player was very cool." He also said, "Falling apart was probably the best thing that could have happened to us."
online database.
Studio albums
Compilations
s resulting in one win.
vocalist of all time by Hit Parader
in 2006.
Touring
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of the rock band Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. A second album, Between Lust and Love, is currently in production. In addition to his career as a musician, Stapp had a brief stint as an actor, appearing in the film 30 Days Until I'm Famous, and more recently as an author, currently at work on a book tentatively titled My Confession. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities.
Despite controversy and criticism, Stapp has won numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Creed's song "With Arms Wide Open
With Arms Wide Open
"With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" and numerous RIAA certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
s. In 2006, Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
ranked Stapp as the 68th greatest heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
vocalist of all time.
Early life
Stapp was born as Anthony Scott Flippen on August 8, 1973 in Goldsboro, North CarolinaGoldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
, to his mother Lynda, a school teacher and his biological father, about whom little is known. He was adopted by Steven Stapp, a dentist who married Scott's mother, and decided to take his stepfather's last name. However, upon realizing that his initials would spell out the word "ass," he took his middle name as his first and took the name he is now known as, Scott Alan Stapp. Stapp grew up in a very religious household because his stepfather was a Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
minister; when punished, he would be forced to copy passages from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. At one point, he grew so desperate to seek freedom from the strict rules of his religious stepfather that he sneaked out of his home in the middle of the night and stayed at a friend's house for a month before leaving again for Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
where he lived in a squat with eight other runaways doing heroin and sniffing glue before finally returning home. In an attempt to impress his stepfather, he attended Lee University
Lee University
Lee University is an American accredited, private, four-year liberal arts college located in Cleveland, Tennessee, United States. It is historically affiliated with the Church of God, a Pentecostal denomination, and was the denomination's Bible Training School from 1918 until 1947, when the name...
in Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,285 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County...
, but he was expelled for smoking marijuana. He subsequently attended Valencia Community College
Valencia Community College
Valencia College, formerly known as Valencia Community College, is a public state college in Orlando, Florida, United States. Valencia is the third-largest member institution of the Florida College System....
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Tallahassee Community College
Tallahassee Community College
Tallahassee Community College is a community college, located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. The institution was founded in 1966 by the Florida Legislature. The college is a member of the Florida College System....
, and finally Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
1995–2004: Creed and early mainstream success
Stapp is a founding member of the American hard rock band CreedCreed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
. After developing an acquaintance with his then-future band mate Mark Tremonti
Mark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
at Lake Highland Preparatory School
Lake Highland Preparatory School
Lake Highland Preparatory School is a private school in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1970. It is the largest private school in Orlando. Lake Highland Preparatory School is a Pre-K through 12, coeducational, private, day school situated on a campus on Lake Highland in the heart of Orlando...
in Orlando, Stapp reunited with Tremonti while both attended Florida State University, and they quickly developed a friendship based on their mutual passion for music. Stapp formed Creed with Tremonti in 1995 with fellow members Brian Marshall
Brian Marshall
Brian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
and Scott Phillips joining as bassist and drummer, respectively. Rhythm guitarist Brian Brasher was also briefly a member in 1995 when the band was known by its original name, Naked Toddler. While often criticized and parodied, Creed is recognized by many as one of the major acts of the post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Tremonti and Stapp have been collectively recognized as one of the most prolific songwriting teams in all of rock music.
The band released their debut album My Own Prison
My Own Prison
My Own Prison is the debut album by Creed, released on August 26, 1997 . It has been certified 6x platinum and is one of the top 200 selling albums of all time in the United States. The person kneeling on the album's cover is Justin Brown, a friend of the band...
in 1997 to mainstream success, selling over six million copies. Four singles were released from the album: "My Own Prison
My Own Prison (song)
"My Own Prison" is a song by Creed and the titular lead single from their 1997 debut album, My Own Prison. Vocalist Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics about his struggles with life at a time when he was questioning his religious faith. He realized he had created a prison within his own mind. Stapp sings...
," "Torn
Torn (Creed song)
"Torn" is a song composed by the rock band Creed. It is from their 1997 album My Own Prison. As a single, it reached number three on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
," "What's This Life For
What's This Life For
"What's This Life For" is a song by rock band Creed. It is the third single off their 1997 debut album, My Own Prison. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the U.S., becoming their first #1 hit on this chart...
," and "One
One (Creed song)
"One" is a song composed by the rock band Creed. From their 1997 album My Own Prison, it describes the lack of unity in modern society and includes a criticism of affirmative action. It was the band's fourth single...
." Each of these songs reached #1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, becoming the first band to do so with a debut album. The album was then followed in 1999 by Human Clay
Human Clay
Human Clay is the second album by Creed released on September 28, 1999. It was certified 11x platinum and 1x diamond by the RIAA, and is 54th on the top 100 selling albums of all time in the United States . The album was the band's first to hit #1 in the U.S., where it debuted with first week...
, which was an immediate success and certified diamond
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and eleven times platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. Tension between Stapp and Marshall began to increase during this time, leading Marshall to ultimately leave the band to pursue other interests. He was temporarily replaced by touring bassist Brett Hestla
Brett Hestla
Brett Hestla, is an American guitarist, bassist, vocalist and record producer.-Music career:In the late 1990s Hestla's band Virgos Merlot was signed to Atlantic Records. After their first release, Signs of a Vacant Soul, he became the touring bassist for Creed after the departure of Brian Marshall...
, with Tremonti handling the bass parts in the studio. After a tour, the band released another multi-platinum selling album, Weathered
Weathered
Weathered is the third album by Creed, released on November 20, 2001. Some versions are enhanced CDs and include videos. It has been certified 6× platinum by the RIAA...
, in 2001. The tour to support this record was overwhelmingly successful but ended with a considerably controversial concert in Chicago that ultimately led to the band's breakup. The band announced that they had disbanded in 2004, citing tension between Stapp and the other members. Creed released their Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Creed album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation album from the rock band Creed. It was released in 2004, soon after the announcement that the band had broken up, and that lead singer Scott Stapp and the other members of the band would go their separate ways . It consists of every one of their U.S...
in November 2004.
2004–2009: Solo career beginnings and The Great Divide
After Creed announced its breakup, Stapp recorded the song "Relearn Love" with 7 Aurelius and The Tea PartyThe Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
for The Passion of the Christ: Songs
The Passion of the Christ: Songs
The Passion of the Christ: Songs is an album of songs inspired by The Passion of the Christ. It was produced by Mark Joseph and Tim Cook and executive produced by Mel Gibson. It won the 2005 GMA Music Award for Special Event Album of the Year...
, a collection of tracks inspired by the 2004 Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
film The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
. He then began working on his debut solo album. Titled The Great Divide, the record was released in the U.S. on November 22, 2005, peaking at #19 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. "The Great Divide
The Great Divide (song)
"The Great Divide" is the second single by Scott Stapp and the first single from his debut album of the same name, released in 2005. It and Stapp's song "You Will Soar" served as WWE's fourth annual Tribute to the Troops theme songs on December 11, 2006....
," "Justify
Justify (song)
"Justify" is the third single by Scott Stapp and the second from his debut solo album, The Great Divide, released in 2005. It is normally the song Stapp closes his solo concerts with....
," and "Surround Me" were released as singles. It was certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
on December 14, 2005. The Great Divide has since reached double platinum. His backing band for the record and live shows since has consisted of Aristides Rincon and John Curry on guitars, Mitch Burman on bass, and Mark Archer on drums. They are all members of the band Goneblind.
In April 2008, Stapp uploaded a cover of "Running to Stand Still
Running to Stand Still
"Running to Stand Still" is a song by rock band U2, and it is the fifth track from their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. A slow ballad based on piano and guitar, it describes a heroin-addicted couple living in Dublin's Ballymun flats; the towers have since become associated with the song...
" by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
to his Myspace page. On August 8, 2008, he posted an acoustic version of "Broken" which was on his previous record. Then on August 10, 2008, Stapp's management announced a new solo project would be released in the second quarter of 2009; however, because of the Creed reunion, the album was put on indefinite hiatus.
2009–2010: Creed reunion and solo acoustic tour
After months of speculation, despite early claims from Tremonti that Creed would never return, it was announced that Creed had reunited with plans for a tour and a new album. The record, Full CircleFull Circle (Creed album)
Full Circle is the fourth studio album by American rock band Creed, released on October 27, 2009. It is Creed's first release since disbanding in 2004, prior to the release of their Greatest Hits album, and is their first studio album since 2001's Weathered, as well as their first to feature...
, was released in October 2009 and became the band's only album to not be certified by the RIAA. Creed supported the album by touring throughout North and South America, Canada, Europe, and Australia during the summers of 2009 and 2010. A fifth Creed album is expected in late 2011 or early 2012 according to Tremonti.
Stapp announced on his Myspace page after Creed's 20-10 Tour with Skillet
Skillet (band)
Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John and Korey Cooper , along with Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. The band has released eight albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: Collide and Comatose...
he will embark on a solo acoustic tour. August 18, 2010, he wrote, "I'm stripping down all the Creed hits, as well as my solo material, in a manner fans have never heard before but have long been screaming for." Creed's touring rhythm guitarist Eric Friedman
Eric Friedman
Eric Charles "Erock" Friedman is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the current touring rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for Creed. He played with the band on their 2009 United States reunion tour with Staind and their 20-10 Tour with Skillet...
joined Stapp on the acoustic tour. The short solo acoustic tour began September 28, 2010, and concluded November 20, 2010.
In the spring of 2010, Stapp recorded an anthem for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
baseball team the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
titled "Marlins Will Soar," a rewrite of Stapp's song "You Will Soar," using different lyrics and a slightly different melody in the verses. "Marlins Will Soar" was met with extremely negative reviews according to The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
. In April 2010, Stapp released (free to fans via scottstapp.com) a new remix of "Broken," featuring rapper Ma$e
Mase
Mason Durell Betha , better known by stage name Mase who was previously known as Murda Ma$e, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and inspirational speaker...
, and 2 B-side tracks, "Somber" and "Criminal," from the upcoming solo album.
Stapp appeared on Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
's solo album Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time
Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time
Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, referred to as simply Guitar Heaven, is the 21st studio album by Santana, released on September 21, 2010...
, a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
album on which Stapp sings on the cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
song "Fortunate Son
Fortunate Son (song)
"Fortunate Son" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival on their album Willy and the Poor Boys in 1968. It was released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in September 1968. This song reached #14 on the United States charts. It won the RIAA Gold Disc award in December 1970...
", released September 21, 2010.
2010–present: Between Lust and Love and future
Stapp has confirmed that his second album, Between Lust and Love, will be a double albumDouble album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, with each disc devoted to the topics of lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
and love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
. Stapp told The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
: "It's been the dichotomy of my life over the last three-and-a-half, four years. [It has] characters that describe [my] life and times … It's two sides of the coin." The album will be produced by Stapp with veteran producer Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
. He has cancelled his Brazilian tour due to illness.
Philanthropy
In 2000, Stapp founded the With Arms Wide Open Foundation, a charity organization dedicated to "[promoting] healthy, loving relationships between children and their families." In early 2010, Stapp flew to HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
to help the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
in the Plane To Haiti
Plane To Haiti
In 2010 philanthropist and producer Daniel Catullo organized a relief mission to Haiti and in 7 short days raised over $1 million in medical supplies and wheelchairs and a donated jet...
project, with producer Daniel Catullo
Daniel Catullo
Daniel E. Catullo III, is an award-winning, 20-year entertainment industry veteran. Dan Catullo is Co-Founder /CEO of DC3 Music Group, LLC, a Production and Distribution Company, specializing in 3D Films, Music Videos and Live Concert DVDs, where he also serves as executive producer, producer and...
.
Family
In 1997, Stapp married Hillaree Burns. They were married for 16 months and divorced in 1998 and she later gave birth to Stapp's son, Jagger. Creed's song "With Arms Wide OpenWith Arms Wide Open
"With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" is about their son.
On February 11, 2006, Stapp married Miss New York USA
Miss New York USA
The Miss New York USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New York in the Miss USA pageant. Amber Collins is the reigning Miss New York USA 2011...
2004 winner, and children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
author, and model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
Jaclyn Nesheiwat. Their daughter, Milán Hayat Stapp, was born on January 4, 2007. In May 2010 the couple announced their second child Daniel was due in July 2010. The Stapps welcomed son Daniel Issam Stapp at 3:01 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, 2010. Scott Stapp now has three children (2 sons and 1 daughter). Stapp also has two sisters, Amanda and Amie. Stapp and his family currently reside in Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
. He is a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
.
Legal troubles
Stapp has also been arrested several times:In July 2002, he was detained by Florida police and charged with reckless driving after he drove his SUV
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
off the road before swerving back into the proper lane. He was released from custody after posting $500.
He was also arrested February 12, 2006, one day after his second marriage, for suspected intoxication of drugs or alcohol.
On May 20, 2007, he was arrested for domestic abuse
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
; after returning home after a night of partying, Stapp was questioned by his wife Jaclyn and got defensive and threw a bottle of Orangina
Orangina
Orangina is a carbonated citrus beverage made from orange, lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit juice. The concept of Orangina originated at a trade fair in France and was first marketed in Algeria by the French Algerian Léon Beton...
at her. She called the police and her husband was taken into custody and charged with one count of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
, although he was later set free on supervised release
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
. Stapp apologized to his wife and the public on May 23, 2007, and the charge was later dropped.
Controversies
Stapp and his past actions have been the subject of controversy:A pornographic video allegedly featuring Stapp and another musician, Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
, was the source of controversy in the late 1990s. While the intended distributor of the video defended its distribution rights, since it was presumably shot by several different individuals, the case was settled in 2007 in Stapp's favor. The video was said to contain graphic footage of Stapp and Rock participating in sexual acts with Rock's groupies while on their tour bus in 1999, and to be forty-five minutes in length. Stapp later said in an interview that "there's no sex on the sex tape." He also said that he and Kid Rock were friends. He explained, "It's a time in his life and a time in my life that we'd like to put behind us and not publicize because we have children now, and they're in school, and their friends read. I know he was pretty pissed off at me when that came out." He has since apologized to Rock.
In 2003, he contemplated suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
after drinking a bottle of Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
whiskey. He retrieved two MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
s from his collection, put the guns to his head, but failed to pull the trigger after looking at a picture of his son Jagger. He stated in an interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
that he was convinced that anyone involved with Creed wanted him dead so he would become a "Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
martyr-type" and increase record sales. Says Scott, "I had crazy thoughts going through my head." He later said that instead of killing himself, he fired a few rounds in his home. He said, "I was in the throes of prednisone
Prednisone
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug that is particularly effective as an immunosuppressant drug. It is used to treat certain inflammatory diseases and some types of cancer, but has significant adverse effects...
coming out of my body [...] I shot a few rounds off and instantly was like, 'What the hell am I doing?' So I put the guns away and ran out to the garage and got the putty and patched the holes."
Despite the controversies, Stapp has since committed himself to "controlling his demons." He shaved his head, which he used to demonstrate his "changed" personality. He said,"I wanted my wife to perceptually and visually see me as changing, that I was not what I used to be." Stapp's Creed band mate, guitarist Mark Tremonti
Mark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
, said that he was "surprised as hell at Scott's new attitude towards music and life in general." Tremonti elaborated, saying: "It seems as though, over the last six years, he'd done a lot of maturing and reflecting; he has his head on straight. And he realizes how truly important Creed was to him. Not just as a monetary enterprise, but as a band, a group of people. Creed was an important thing for him to be a part of. Right there, in our first meeting, he made us realize that we felt the same way." He stated in another interview, "From the second we started playing again, he was very complimentary towards what we were all doing musically. He had a lot of nice things to say about my guitar playing, and to hear him say to Brian [Marshall] that he thought he was a great bass player was very cool." He also said, "Falling apart was probably the best thing that could have happened to us."
RIAA certifications
These statistics were compiled from the RIAA certificationRIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
online database.
Studio albums
- My Own PrisonMy Own PrisonMy Own Prison is the debut album by Creed, released on August 26, 1997 . It has been certified 6x platinum and is one of the top 200 selling albums of all time in the United States. The person kneeling on the album's cover is Justin Brown, a friend of the band...
: 6× platinum (August 2002) - Human ClayHuman ClayHuman Clay is the second album by Creed released on September 28, 1999. It was certified 11x platinum and 1x diamond by the RIAA, and is 54th on the top 100 selling albums of all time in the United States . The album was the band's first to hit #1 in the U.S., where it debuted with first week...
: 11× platinum, 1×(+) diamond (January 2004) - WeatheredWeatheredWeathered is the third album by Creed, released on November 20, 2001. Some versions are enhanced CDs and include videos. It has been certified 6× platinum by the RIAA...
: 6× platinum (January 2003) - The Great Divide: 2× platinum (December 2005)
Compilations
- Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Creed album)Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation album from the rock band Creed. It was released in 2004, soon after the announcement that the band had broken up, and that lead singer Scott Stapp and the other members of the band would go their separate ways . It consists of every one of their U.S...
: 2× platinum (November 2008)
Grammy Awards and nominations
With Creed, Scott Stapp has been nominated for three Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s resulting in one win.
- "With Arms Wide OpenWith Arms Wide Open"With Arms Wide Open" is a song composed by the band Creed, featured on the album Human Clay. Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics when he found out with great surprise that he was going to be a father. His son would be named Jagger. "With Arms Wide Open" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks...
" – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalGrammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalThe Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories...
, 2001 (nomination) - "With Arms Wide Open" – Best Rock SongGrammy Award for Best Rock SongThe Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
, 2001 (winner) - "My SacrificeMy Sacrifice"My Sacrifice" is a single and Grammy nominated song released by the American post-grunge band Creed on their album Weathered in 2001. The song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on February 9, 2002, and #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for 9 consecutive weeks, starting in...
" – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, 2003 (nomination)
Accolades
Stapp was ranked as the 68th greatest heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
vocalist of all time by Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
in 2006.
Band members
Studio- Aristides Rincon – lead guitar
- John Curry – rhythm guitar
- Mitch Burman – bass
- Mark Archer – drums
Touring
- Eric FriedmanEric FriedmanEric Charles "Erock" Friedman is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the current touring rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for Creed. He played with the band on their 2009 United States reunion tour with Staind and their 20-10 Tour with Skillet...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
(2010) - Garrett Whitlock – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2010) - Mitch Burman – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2005–2008, 2010, 2011) - Aristides Rincon – lead guitar (2005–2008, 2011)
- John Curry – rhythm guitar (2005–2008, 2011)
- Mark Archer – drums (2005–2008, 2011)
- Andy Waldeck - guitar (2011)
- Brent Look - Lead guitar (2011)
- Theron Derrick- drums (2011)
- Beji George- drums (2011)
Discography
- The Great Divide (2005)