Creed is an American post-grunge and hard rock band, formed in 1993 in Tallahassee, Florida. The band's best-known line-up consists of lead vocalist Scott Stapp, guitarist and vocalist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips. Creed released two studio albums, My Own Prison in 1997 and Human Clay in 1999, before Marshall left the band in 2000 with the band remaining threepiece. The band's third record, Weathered,
was released in 2001 with Mark Tremonti handling bass before the band
disbanded in 2004 due to increasing tension between members. Tremonti,
Marshall, and Phillips went on to found Alter Bridge while Stapp followed a solo career, releasing The Great Divide in 2005. After years of speculation, Creed reunited in 2009 for a tour and new album called Full Circle,
later touring again in 2012. Another album was planned, but has since
been shelved, with the future of the band currently uncertain.
Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond. Creed has sold over 28 million records in the United States,[1] and over 40 million albums worldwide,[2] becoming the ninth best-selling artist of the 2000s.[3] Creed is often recognized as one of the prominent acts of the post-grunge movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Early years (1993–1996)
Creed's origins lie in 1993 in Tallahassee, Florida. Founding members vocalist Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti had been classmates in high school and friends at Florida State University.[4]
Upon reuniting, Stapp and Tremonti realized that they had a mutual love
for writing music and performing. After several discussions and times
spent writing songs, many of which addressed themes of Christian theology and spirituality due to Stapp's religious background as the stepson of a Pentecostal minister, the duo held auditions which led to the recruitment of rhythm guitarist Brian Brasher, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips
to complete the quintet. Originally known as Naked Toddler, the band
changed its name to Creed at Marshall's suggestion, after a band
Marshall had previously played for called Mattox Creed.[4]
By the end of 1995, rhythm guitarist Brian Brasher left the band. Creed
then decided to remain as a four-piece band. The four musicians had
already written and collaborated on four of the songs that would go on
to become tracks on Creed's chart-topping debut album, My Own Prison. The band found local success and began to play shows in bars and small venues throughout Tallahassee.
My Own Prison and rise to fame (1997–1998)
With a new name, a new sound and several new songs written, Creed
began playing locally. They initially struggled to get gigs in their
hometown because no one wanted to hear rock bands, so they set up their
own shows at family restaurants and got all their friends to hand out
fliers so people would come to these restaurants to watch them play.[5]
Wanting "a real show at a club", they managed to persuade the owner
of a bar in Tallahassee to book them by claiming that they could
guarantee an audience of 200 people.[5] Owner and manager Jeff Hanson later told HitQuarters
that the band had played mostly cover versions, but two original songs
stood out and impressed the manager so much that he promptly signed them
to his management and promotions company and set about developing their
act.[6] For their first recordings he matched the band up with John Kurzweg,
a producer and friend of Hanson's who he felt was an appropriate fit.
Together they recorded their debut album for $6,000, which was funded by
Hanson.[6] The album, titled My Own Prison, was initially self-released on their own label, Blue Collar Records, selling 6,000 copies throughout the state of Florida.
My Own Prison had been circulating around the music industry for a while when, in May 1997, Diana Meltzer from Wind-Up Records heard the album for the first time and decided almost immediately that she wanted to sign them to the label,[7] which had recently dropped Baboon
over the latter's reluctance to alter their image and sound to suit the
label's demands. Meltzer later said that she heard "an arena band".[7] Within the same week, Meltzer, together with Wind-up president Steve Lerner, CEO Alan Meltzer, and A&R
representative Joel Mark, flew to Tallahassee to see Creed perform live
and decide for certain whether to offer them a contract. "Seeing the
energy in the room when Scott Stapp stepped up to the mike, and hearing
his powerful voice fill the room, alongside Mark Tremonti’s now
legendary guitar riffs and that big Creed anthemic rock sound, was all I
needed," she told HitQuarters.[7]
According to Hanson, before Wind-up signed Creed, fourteen labels had
already passed on the band, and at one point he was tempted to take
charge of them himself.[6]
My Own Prison was remixed, given a more radio-friendly sound,
and re-released by Wind-up Records. Four singles were released from the
album: "My Own Prison", "Torn", "What's This Life For", and "One". Each of these songs reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, making Creed the first band to accomplish such a feat with a debut album.[4] With little MTV exposure, media coverage, or label support, My Own Prison sold extremely well, moving over six million copies and going six times platinum. Creed continued to top year-end charts and was recognized as the Rock Artist of the Year at the 1998 Billboard Music Awards. My Own Prison was also the highest-selling heavy music record of 1998 on Nielsen SoundScan's Hard Music chart.[8] The band's hit song "My Own Prison" was also featured as a live performance on the charity album Live in the X Lounge. The band covered Alice Cooper's song "I'm Eighteen" for The Faculty soundtrack in 1998.[9] Critical reception toward My Own Prison was mostly favorable. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic
gave it four out of five stars and said that Creed "work well within
their boundaries" despite "basically [falling] into the category of
post-Seattle bands who temper their grunge with a dose of Live earnestness."[10] The album lyrically deals with themes of questioning and struggling with faith and spirituality.
Human Clay and Marshall's departure (1999–2000)
With money made from My Own Prison, the band started to write for their second album, Human Clay. The album's first single, "Higher," spent a record-breaking 17 weeks on the top of the rock radio charts.[4][11] In 2009, "Higher" was ranked as the 95th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.[12] The album was released in 1999, when My Own Prison was still doing reasonably well.[13] However, Human Clay was an instant and overwhelming success debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and selling over ten million copies over the next two years, allowing it to become one of the few rock albums to be certified diamond by the RIAA.[4]
The album was the band's first to hit No. 1 in the U.S., where it
debuted with first week sales of 315,000, and stayed on top for two
weeks.[14] After the album's release, follow-up singles were released: "With Arms Wide Open," "What If," and "Are You Ready." The first three of those topped radio charts, giving Creed a total of seven chart-topping singles.[4] The band would later go on to win their first, and to date only, Grammy Award for "With Arms Wide Open" for Best Rock Song in 2001.[15]
Reviews for Human Clay were largely positive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic
said that the record "does make it clear that there is an audience for
post-grunge hard rock, as long as it's delivered without pretension and
as long as it meets the audience's desire for straight-ahead,
hard-hitting music."[16] The lyrical content of Human Clay is a slight departure from that of My Own Prison, touching on subjects such as lucid dreaming ("Higher") and fatherhood ("With Arms Wide Open"), as well as darker, more violent themes such as sexual abuse ("Wash Away Those Years") and hostility ("What If").[17]
During the summer of 2000, bassist Brian Marshall began a spiral into
alcoholism and addiction. While under the influence, Marshall
threatened to beat up Tremonti, began missing band obligations, and
attacked Stapp both verbally and online. The band had a meeting with
management to discuss Marshall's future. Stapp and Tremonti supported
Marshall going to rehab and attempted to talk Marshall into going, but
at that point, Marshall was too far gone to recognize he needed help.
Touring bassist Brett Hestla of Virgos Merlot
was initially contacted to "fill in" while Marshall went to rehab, but
that never happened. Initially, the public thought Marshall was let go
because he criticized Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder in a radio interview with KNDD
in June 2000, claiming that Scott Stapp is a better songwriter, and
criticized Pearl Jam's recent albums for "having songs without hooks."[18]
Stapp later distanced the rest of the band from Marshall's comments and
stated, "Yes, we get tired of the PJ question, but there is no excuse
for the arrogance and stupidity [of Marshall]. I ask you all not to
judge Creed as a band, because the statements made were not the band's
feelings, they were Brian's. I'm sorry if Brian offended anyone, and he
has already apologized for his comments."[19]
Although it was reported thet Marshall left Creed "on friendly terms",
he did not. Tremonti and Stapp were concerned for Marshall and their
collective friendships, but soon after the controversy, Marshall formed a
new band called Grand Luxx with his old Mattox Creed band mates.
Marshall was temporarily replaced by Hestla.[4] Stapp stated that Marshall's leaving was his choice and was unrelated to the Pearl Jam comments.[20]
Weathered and break-up (2001–2004)
Creed worked on their third album for most of 2001, with Tremonti
choosing to play bass on the record himself instead of Hestla to
"[preserve] the band's initial core," although Hestla remained in
Creed's touring lineup. Weathered was released on November 20, 2001. Six singles were released from the album: "My Sacrifice" (which earned the band a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2003), "One Last Breath, "Hide", "Don't Stop Dancing", "Weathered" and "Bullets." The album was a commercial bestseller[21] and was certified platinum six times over and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200. It remained at that spot for eight weeks, a record which Creed notably shares with The Beatles.[22] The tour to promote Weathered
was met with considerable controversy; it was delayed in April 2002
when Stapp suffered a concussion and vertebrae damage after being
involved in a car accident. As a result, in addition to his growing
addiction to alcohol, he became addicted to pain medication. This, along
with other events, led to a considerably controversial concert on
December 29, 2002 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois,
which ultimately led to the band's disunion. Four disappointed
concertgoers filed a lawsuit against the band, claiming that Scott Stapp
"was so intoxicated and/or medicated that he was unable to sing the
lyrics of a single Creed song."[23] Creed later issued an apology on Stapp's behalf,[24] although Stapp would later deny the claims. Ultimately, the case was dismissed.[23] Stapp later confirmed that he was intoxicated during the concert, but was not incoherent.[20]
After remaining inactive for over a year, it was announced in June
2004 that Creed had disbanded. Tremonti cited tensions between Stapp and
the rest of the band as the reasoning. He said that the relationship
with Stapp had become so strained that the creative juices were no
longer flowing. The reality was that Stapp was in Maui battling his
addiction to alcohol and drugs.[25]
Almost simultaneous with the announcement of Creed's break-up, Stapp
opted for a solo career. So on November 22, 2004, Wind-up Records
released Creed's Greatest Hits, after which Stapp released his debut solo album The Great Divide in 2005 with Roadrunner Records recording artist Goneblind. Meanwhile, Tremonti and Phillips had reunited with Marshall to form a new band, called Alter Bridge with singer Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the current frontman of Slash's latest project. Alter Bridge, who continues to tour and record today, has released four studio albums: One Day Remains (2004), Blackbird (2007), AB III (2010) and Fortress (2013).[26]
Reunion and Full Circle (2009–2010)
From 2004 onward, Tremonti promised that Creed would never reform.[27]
However, on April 27, 2009, Creed's website announced that the band had
reunited for a new tour and plans for a new album. According to
Tremonti, "We're all very excited to reconnect with our fans and each
other after seven long years."[28]
He later added that being in Creed again was "the last thing [he]
expected." Phillips also stated: "Our career as Creed came to a very
abrupt and unforeseen ending. After reflecting on some of the greatest
personal and professional moments of our lives, we've come to realize
that we are still very capable of continuing that career and our
friendship on a grander scale than ever before."[28] In an interview for People
magazine, Stapp elaborated on the reunion, saying, "We never felt like
we weren't together. We're not looking at this as a reunion. It's more
of a rebirth."[29]
In June, Creed performed with Marshall on bass for the first time in nine years on Sessions@AOL, showing the band playing four of their hits.[30] In addition, the band performed live on Fox & Friends on June 26, 2009.[31] Creed's reunion tour, with touring guitarist Eric Friedman, kicked off on August 6, 2009 and concluded on October 20. Full Circle,
Creed's first album in eight years, came out on October 27, 2009. Stapp
elaborated on the title, which is also the name of a track to appear on
the album: "It really defines and articulates, melody-wise and
lyrically, what’s happened with us. We've come full circle and it's a
great place to be."[32] The first single from Full Circle, "Overcome,"
was posted on the band's official website on August 19, the same day
the radio premiere started along with its release as a digital download
on August 25. The second single, "Rain,"
was released to radio stations on September 23 and became available on
October 6 as another digital download. On September 25, 2009, Creed
performed a concert in Houston, Texas that was recorded, broadcast via a live internet stream, and released on December 8, 2010, as a concert film titled Creed Live, the band's first live recording.[33] The performance broke four world records,
including the world record for the most amount of cameras used at a
live music event (239). The previous holder of this record was Justin Timberlake. The performance also featured the very first usage of the "big freeze" technology, popularized by The Matrix, in a concert environment.[34] The band's first live recording, the record-breaking concert film titled Creed Live, was released on December 8, 2009. Drummer Scott Phillips also confirmed that Full Circle will not be the band's final album. The same announcement confirmed that Creed was to go on a world tour in support of Full Circle
between April and September 2010, starting with an Australia/New
Zealand tour, followed by South America, Europe, and North America.[35]
The tour was called The 20-10 Tour. Tickets for the tour were ten and
twenty dollars to stand up against rising concert ticket prices. The
first 2,010 tickets purchased for every concert did not include any
service fees.[36] Due to high ticket sales, Creed was put in high numbered areas.[37] Skillet joined the tour as main support.
Touring, fifth studio album and hiatus (2011–2012)
Creed reconvened in late 2011 and early 2012 to begin work on what
would be their fifth studio album. A tour was also announced in which
the band would perform their first two albums, My Own Prison and Human Clay, from front to back over the course of two nights, with selected tracks from Weathered and Full Circle also featured. This tour kicked off with two shows on April 12 and 13, 2012, at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, with the band performing My Own Prison the first night and Human Clay the second. They also toured in South America and Indonesia.[38][39]
It was announced that lead singer Scott Stapp and lead guitarist Mark
Tremonti would enter the studio to start recording new songs in June,[40] but it would appear no progress was made during this time.
In October 2013, Stapp noted in an interview that extensive work was
done on a fifth album throughout 2011 and 2012. However, the project was
subsequently abandoned, with Stapp uncertain of the reasons. Stapp also
hinted that the relationship between himself and Tremonti had once
again broken down, leaving the future of the band uncertain.[41]
Stapp later revealed that Tremonti was dictating to him what he wants
the band's creative direction to be, and that unless Stapp agreed to his
demands, the guitarist wouldn't work with him.[42] Despite these differences, Stapp has maintained that Creed is "still a band."[43][44] He also said that he's open to continuing to work with Creed when the time is right and if everyone can agree to continue.[45] In October 2014, Mark Tremonti said that the band has "no plans at the moment" to reform for another album or tour.[46]
On November 26, 2014, Scott Stapp sent a video to his Facebook
account stating he was "completely penniless" after mismanagement and
financial trouble.[47] Stapp's testimonial came shortly after his estranged wife Jaclyn Stapp filed for divorce, claiming the singer has been using drugs, as well as sending her bizarre text messages.[48]
Tremonti subsequently posted a statement stating he was worried about
Stapp and had attempted to contact him to no avail, but that he would
keep trying.[49]
Musical style
Creed's music is generally considered to be rock. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Scott Stapp's vocals have been influenced by Jim Morrison of The Doors.[50]
Creed is often labeled a Christian rock band due to the fact that all their albums focus on questions of faith, Christianity, and eternity. The band was never signed to a contemporary Christian music label, nor did it perform in Christian music venues or get any widespread regular play on Christian radio. However, the band's name itself refers to the religious concept of a creed. Also, themes within their musical titles such as "My Own Prison", "My Sacrifice", "What's This Life For", "With Arms Wide Open", "Higher", and "One Last Breath"
all contain allusions to Christian theology. Band members have stated
that while the members may be Christians, they do not see Creed as a
Christian band. Bassist Brian Marshall, who named the band, said that
singer Scott Stapp uses spiritual imagery as a metaphor.[51]
Legacy and reception
Creed was one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the
late 1990s and early 2000s, having sold an estimated 53 million records
worldwide.[4][28] Their first three studio albums, My Own Prison, Human Clay, and Weathered, have all gone multi-platinum in the United States, selling 6 million, 11 million, and 6 million copies respectively.[52][53] The band also won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for the song "With Arms Wide Open" in 2001.[15] However, in spite of this enormous commercial success, Creed was poorly received by professional critics, such as Robert Christgau, among others.[54] Jonah Weiner of Slate has tried to make the case that the band was "seriously underrated,"[55] "most people hate Creed’s combination of overwrought power-balladry and Christian-infused testosterone."[56] However, the band's live shows from throughout their career have been critically acclaimed.[57][58]
In 2011, Billboard ranked Creed as the 18th best artist of the 2000s.[59] In 2012, lead vocalist Scott Stapp published his own memoir titled Sinner's Creed, which details his early life and tenure with the band. In 2013, readers of Rolling Stone
voted Creed the worst band of the 1990s, whilst criticizing the band
and saying the competition "wasn't even close." Also included in the
list were fellow post-grunge band Nickelback.[60]
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