1995-2004, 2009-2012, 2023-Scott StappVocals
Mark TremontiGuitar
Brian MarshallBass1995-2000, 2009-2012, 2023-
Scott PhillipsDrums
Brett HestlaBass2000-2004
Creed formed at Florida State University in Tallahassee, where all four members were students. None were studying music, and bass player Brian Marshall is the only one to graduate - he got a degree in interior design in 1996. Lead singer Scott Stapp was close to graduating but left when the band got a record deal in 1997.
Creed were one of the most popular bands of the late '90s and early '00s. The three albums they released between 1997 and 2002 combined to sell well over 20 million copies in America and did very well internationally. Their hits include "
One Last Breath,"
Higher and "
With Arms Wide Open."
Their first album,
My Own Prison, was made in producer John Kurzweg's home studio for about $6,000 and released independently on a label they made up called Blue Collar Records, a reference to their day jobs (Mark Tremonti worked at Chili's). They convinced some local record stores to stock it and took it to the Tallahassee radio station X101.5, which put the song "
My Own Prison" in rotation after it got a great response on their local music show. The album sold about 5,000 copies and got the attention of the New York City label Wind-Up Records, which signed the band and had them polish it up before giving it a wide release. The songs "
My Own Prison" and "
One" earned a lot of airplay and helped the album sell over 6 million copies in America.
Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti formed the band and write all their songs, typically with Stapp writing the lyrics and Tremonti the music.
They played at Woodstock '99, performing a set just before the crowd stated rioting. Robbie Krieger, the guitarist for The Doors, joined them on stage to play the Doors song "
Roadhouse Blues."
Stapp has had problems with his vocal cords. Creed has had to cancel shows or ask the audience to sing along to help him when he strains them.
Stapp has a temper that he's worked to get under control. In April 2001, he reportedly punched a man at a bar after he told Stapp he "should have stuck with Pearl Jam." In 2005 he
got in a brawl with members of the band 311.
One of their first names was "Naked Toddler," named after a newspaper headline Scott Stapp saw. Thankfully, they changed it to Creed, a name Brian Marshall suggested - his former band was called Maddox Creed.
Stapp comes from a very religious household where he was not allowed to listen to rock music. His lyrics often reflect his Christian beliefs, but he says they are not a Christian band.
Creed had two breakups, first in 2004 after Scott Stapp's struggles with alcohol, drugs, and depression caused tension in the band. They reunited in 2009 and released an album that year called Full Circle, but they split again in 2012 after those tensions resurfaced during their tour that year. They returned in 2024 for another tour, fully embracing their back catalog. In 2025 they launched the "Summer of '99 Tour."
Four fans sued the band after a December 29, 2002 show in Illinois where Scott Stapp appeared drunk and rolled around on the stage. Stapp claimed that he was rolling around during the song "Who's Got My Back" to make a personal statement, as he felt no one was looking out for him at the time.
Speaking with Songfacts,
Scott Stapp explained how he came to terms with his music and faith. "I was taught how rock and roll stars were supposed to be," he said. "And they didn't mesh: You couldn't be a rock star and a Christian. Those two didn't come together. Then I woke up from that and went through the journey that I did and finally came to grips with the fact that, 'Well hey, I am a rock star and I am a Christian.' The two worlds can blend together. These two worlds do have symmetry. They don't have to mean good and evil. They can mean unity."
Creed were named the worst band of the 1990s by readers of
Rolling Stone. The 2013 poll had
Nickelback in second place and Limp Bizkit third. The magazine was brutal in their comments, writing: "It's no surprise Creed won this poll – it wasn't even close. This is a band so hated that their own fans sued them after a famously bad show in Chicago."
After making headlines with his increasingly erratic behavior in early 2015, Scott Stapp was told that he has bipolar disorder, which causes extreme mood swings. He told People that his diagnosis was initially "hard to process". Said Stapp: "There's a stigma associated with it. But [wife] Jaclyn kept telling me, 'Embrace it. We love you.' It became a big sign of relief, because finally, we had an answer."
In 2006,
Scott Stapp attempted suicide by leaping 40 feet from a Miami hotel balcony. The Creed singer fractured his skull and broke his hip and nose. Rapper T.I. discovered him on the ground a couple of hours later - Stapp credits him with saving his life.
When Creed broke up in 2004, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips formed Alter Bridge with Myles Kennedy on lead vocals. They've done well and stayed together even during Creed's reunions.
Scott Stapp has released a few solo albums, the first, The Great Divide, in 2005.
