Scott Stapp from the band Creed joined The Bobby Bones Show to talk about their comeback and more!
Stapp had no expectations that the Creed Reunion Tour would come back as big as it did. He shared there have been moments where he teared up looking out into the 20,000 plus people crowd. It makes him emotional because he knows what it’s like to have that type of support, and what it’s like to not, so he’s very appreciative for all the love they’ve been receiving lately.
Stapp’s favorite part of his job is writing music and being in the studio. He has written songs for other people, but he’s more known for the music he writes for himself and for Creed. When he’s out in public, he does sometimes get double looks from people who recognize him and if fans ever approach him for a picture, he never turns them down. Stapp’s current single “Black Butterfly,” he wrote while he was also singing it in the studio. He kept stopping to add to the lyrics, and his singing inspired the song and capturing that on the record was important for him.
Stapp said that at this point in his life with his fame, he is grateful for the life it’s been able to provide him and his family. He’s able to understand it now better than when he was in his 20’s. Back then, he admitted he was so naive and did not have a plan B, music was his goal. Pre-success he knew Creed was going to be the biggest band in the world, but at the time, he had no idea how difficult it was to achieve that type of success. It wasn’t until Creed lost popularity that he realized what a gift they had, and now that they’ve been given another chance, he’s not taking it for granted.
On Creed’s iconic hit “With Arms Wide Open,” you can hear his sons, Jagger’s, heartbeat. They recorded his heartbeat while he was in the womb and chose to include it in the song. He’s not sure if his son knows that, but it’s a fun fact he can’t wait to talk to him about. Stapp is much different in his private life compared to when he’s performing. In private, he describes himself as more or a hermit, while on stage he is able to bring the energy and connect with people more. There’s only been a few times in his life where he’s felt so nervous that his knees were shaking. Once was when he sang the National Anthem at game 4 of the World Series in 2004. He also almost got to that point when he performed at The Grand Ole Opry for the first time because he realized the significance and honor of being on that stage.
Stapp gets told a lot by fans that Creed's music saved their life. Most recently, their song “One Last Breathe,” has been connecting with the younger generation in a profound way. He thinks it’s because a lot of people understand what it feels like to be at the end of your rope and beaten down by life and close to giving up. But in the song, it says, “I still believe,” and he thinks that moment of hope inspires people to continue going.
Growing up, the artists that inspired him the most were Elvis, Def Leppard, U2 and The Doors. He did get a chance to rehearse with The Doors for a week and play a show on VH1 with them and recorded some songs with them for a record with the remaining members of the band. He also got to meet The Edge from U2 and was going to meet Bono, but something came up. He also recalled back in 2012, he was in the U.K. doing promotional work and when he went into a radio station, one of the guys from Def Leppard was there and interviewed him. His Mount Rushmore of Creed songs are “One Last Breathe,” “My Sacrifice,” “Higher,” and “With Arms Wide Open.”
When Stapp heard Dorothy open for them at a show, her voice blew him away. He was looking for a female singer for his song "If These Walls Could Talk," and knew her voice would be great. Stapp’s daughter, who is also a musician and writes and records songs, and he always asks for her opinion before he releases any music. When he played his daughter the song, she started crying when Dorothy started singing and that’s when he knew he made the right choice to have her on the song. When making new music, he makes sure to stay in the moment of what he is feeling and what is inspiring him at that time. He never looks back on what he did in the past, or thinks about the future, he creates what is on his heart in the current moment. Stapp’s solo album, Higher Power, has been out since the spring of 2024 and it’s a very diverse album. He did not plan for it to be a typical rock record, and he did not go into the studio with an idea or plan and explained that the record came together naturally and made itself.
Creed extended their Summer ‘99 Reunion Tour and when he found out the average ticket was being sold to 18-35 years old, it put a lot of pressure on him. At every show, he’d ask the audience to raise their hands if this was their first Creed show and 90% of the people did. Now he performs trying to win them over!