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Creed
Creed

left to right: Brett Hestla, Scott Phillips, Scott Stapp, and Mark Tremonti

Origin: Tallahasee, Florida, USA
Record Label: Blue Collar Records, Wind-up Records
Years Active 1994 - 2004
2009 - 2012
2023 - present
Members:

Scott Stapp
Mark Tremonti
Scott Phillips
Brian Marshall

Creed is an rock band from Tallahassee, Florida. They are known for songs including "Higher", "With Arms Wide Open", "My Sacrifice", "One Last Breath", and "My Own Prison". The members are Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips, and Brian Marshall. They won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for the song "With Arms Wide Open" in 2001.

The band broke up in 2004 but regrouped in 2009.

Forming Creed[]

Stapp and Tremonti were friends at Florida University college. They soon added Phillips and Brian Marshall to their band. Creed started in 1995 as a band called Naked Toddler. Marshall soon suggested to change the name to Creed after the name of his former band Mattox Creed.

My Own Prison[]

Creed's first album is called My Own Prison, which came out on April 14, 1997. The cover has a man kneeling down, without a shirt, and with his hands on his head. The album reached in the Top 40 on the Billboard Top 200. It has four singles including "Torn", "My Own Prison", "What's This Life For", and "One". The person on the album cover is Justin Brown, a friend of Creed. The photographer of the cover is Tremonti's brother, Daniel. The album costed $6,000 to produce.

Human Clay[]

Creed's second album is called Human Clay, which was realesed on September 28, 1999. This album also has four singles including "Higher", "With Arms Wide Open", "What If", and "Are You Ready?". "With Arms Wide Open" reached #1 on the US Hot 100 in 1999. The album cover has a man of clay on a dusty, four way intersecting road, with only half of his body showing. The rest is in the ground. The man of clay also is holding a clock. According to Mark Tremonti, the cover for the album represents a crossroad which every human finds himself in his life and the man of clay represented our actions, that what we are is up to us, that we lead our own path and make our own destiny. The album artwork was rated a tie with Creed's next album Weathered, for worst album design by Drop the Anvil, a review site. This is also the last album to feature Brian Marshall because he quit the band. Marshall was replaced with Brett Helsta. "What If" was featured on the Scream 3 soundtrack. The album was debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart at number one, based on the strength of its first single, "Higher", which spent several weeks on the top of the rock radio charts. It wasn't until early 2000 that the single crossed over onto pop radio going to the Top Ten on the Billboard Pop Chart, and Creed became a household name. The follow-up single, "With Arms Wide Open," also hit number one that fall

Weathered[]

Creed's third studio album, Weathered, was released on November 20, 2001. The album features the band members faces appearing on a tree and there is a hand next to the tree holding a tool. Weathered the most singles of any album. The five singles include "Bullets", "One Last Breath", "My Sacrifice", "Weathered", "Hide", and "Don't Stop Dancing". It was used in a series of promotional tribute videos made by World Wrestling Entertainment. They also had "Young Grow Old," a B-side to the 1999 release Human Clay, featured as the official theme song for World Wrestling Entertainment WWE's Backlash pay-per-view event in April 2002. In early 2002, "Bullets" was released as a single, along with a costly, special effects-laden video. The song and video were possibly Creed's least successful since achieving mainstream success. However, Creed rebounded quickly, with one of the summer's biggest hits, "One Last Breath".

Stapp was involved in a car accident in April 2002 and it had seemed that the tour that they had planned was not going to happen. However, Stapp recovered in time to appear in the last few shows. "Don't Stop Dancing" was a minor hit for Creed in late 2002/early 2003

Greatest Hits[]

Creed made a greatest hits compilation album, which was realesed in the U.S. on November 22, 2004. It was realesed soon after the band's original break up. It consits of every Creed single but "Hide". The album also includes a DVD that contains all of the band's music videos and several live performances. It consists of every one of their U.S. singles, but leaving out their only other single, the international "Hide." On November 19, 2008 the album was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.

Break Up[]

In June of 2004, Creed officially announced their break up. Scott Stapp went on to make a solo album called The Great Divide. The other members went to make a band called Alter Bridge, with Myles Kennedy. Altough many fans wait for Creed's reuinion, the former band members say that Creed is behind them, and they don't think they will have a reunion.

Reunion and Full Circle (2009-present)[]

On November 3, 2008, Blabbermouth.net reported that a Creed reunion could materialize in 2009. According to Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy was rumored to replace Robert Plant for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour in 2009. Blabbermouth states that "if Kennedy should take the job with the Zeppelin offshoot, the sources have indicated that there are already "significant dollars" on the table for a Creed reunion." On December 2, Rolling Stone reported that an announcement of a Creed reunion was "imminent". However, Kennedy himself denied the rumor that he would be fronting "Led Zeppelin or any offshoot of Led Zeppelin," but also said that he did indeed jam with the instrumental members of the band. It was later stated by Jimmy Page's manager that there will be no Led Zeppelin reunion and that Myles Kennedy will remain in Alter Bridge to record the band's third album. Because of this, a Creed reunion appeared unlikely.

However, on March 17, 2009 a teaser trailer for a possible tour was leaked, pulled, and then on April 2 re-published on the re-launched Creed website, Creed.com, which states "coming summer 2009".

On April 27, Creed's website officially announced the band's reunion tour and plans for a new album. According to Tremonti, "We're all very excited to reconnect with our fans and each other after six long years." 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."

Bassist Brian Marshall also confirmed he would rejoin his former band, following his departure prior to the recording of Creed's third album Weathered. Marshall says of the reunion: "This is a development we are all happy about. It has been a long time since the four of us have taken the stage together, and without hesitation or reservation this is something all of us are in to. The anticipation to get back out there is electrifying." Singer Scott Stapp concluded on the band's official press release that "it's amazing how life can change and bring you full circle. Time gave us all a chance to reflect, grow and gain a deeper appreciation of our friendships, artistic chemistry, passion for music, and sincere love for our fans! It's rare in life to get a second chance to make a first impression and we embrace the opportunity. We all believe the best is yet to come."

The reunion tour kicks off on August 6th and wraps up on the 14th of October.

In an interview for People.com, 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." According the article, it was Stapp who pushed for the reunion to take place who spoke to the other 3 members, saying that he told his former band members, "I love you and if I've ever caused you any pain in your life, forgive me," and then went on to say that "they said the same things right back." Stapp also confirmed the band were "jamming" and "not trying to stay in a certain place or conform to where we left off. The music is fresh, edgy, raw, passionate, honest, and it rocks."

Stapp discussed how he and guitarist Tremonti reconnected, thanks to the Champs Sports Bowl, according to Rolling Stone. According to Stapp, "[they] exchanged family pictures and within 20 minutes, [they] were jamming on acoustic guitars and talking about new songs." All four original members then sat down in a meeting, their first since 2000. "At that meeting, we were collectively saying, 'Hey, man, I’m sorry if I hurt you or my choices did anything to cause you any pain. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for you and I hope you can forgive me.' It’s all part of the process of reflection and not looking back at the six months out of 10 years that were trying,” says Stapp.

The band have completed work on six demos and plan to record the album, to be titled Full Circle in Nashville. Stapp elaborated on the title, which is also the name of a track to appear on the upcoming 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. The goal is to release the first single before the tour and have the album come out during the tour or right after." Stapp has confirmed that the reformation of Creed will put work his second solo album on indefinite hiatus.

Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips, Brian Marshall, and Alter Bridge's publicist, Mark Tremonti's brother Michael, all firmly state that Creed's reunion will not affect Alter Bridge in any way and that they will go back into the studio after the Creed tour to record their upcoming third album. AOn Creed's Myspace page, there is a new teaser video for the reunion. Also, the band's website has been fully redone and has all the latest on the tour including VIP packages available at www.creedvip.com

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", hit radio on September 23 and became available on October 6 as another digital download.

Also, a live Creed DVD was filmed in Houston on September 25, 2009 where a total of 239 cameras was used to capture the live performance. This feat entered Creed in the Guinness World Records for the largest amount of cameras used at a live music event. The last person to hold that record was Justin Timberlake, who broke the record using 47. The concert was also streamed live on Rockpit and MyContent and was available for viewing for free to an estimated 200,000+ viewers.

The DVD will be released on December 8, 2009. All of their hits were played, as well as 2 tracks from Full Circle, "A Thousand Faces" and "Overcome". Other information regarding the DVD including the title has not yet been released.

By October 23, 2009, all the songs on the Full Circle album were leaked. The album will be released on October 27, 2009.

Controversies[]

Creed is often labeled as a Christian Rock band, although Creed says they are not. For example, Scott Stapp says the lyrics to the song "Higher" are based on a dream he had.

Creed was sued in 2003 by four concert goers who claimed Stapp "was so intoxicated and/or medicated that he was unable to sing the lyrics of a single Creed song." The lawsuit was desmissed. The concert goers were mocked on the Daily Show.

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Year Album Details Peak Chart Positions Certifications
US
[1]
AUS
[2]
CAN
[3]
NZ
[4]
SWI
[5]
UK
1997 My Own Prison
  • Released: April 14, 1997
  • Label: Blue Collar Records
22 49 1 6x Platinum (US)[6]
1999 Human Clay
  • Released: September 28, 1999
  • Label: Wind-Up Records
1 2 1 35 4 11x Platinum (US)[6]
2001 Weathered
  • Released: November 20, 2001
  • Label: Wind-Up Records
1 3 3 20 4 6x Platinum (US)[6]
2009 Full Circle
  • Released: October 27, 2009
  • Label: Wind-Up Records
2 27 8 16 7 AUS: Gold

Singles[]

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US
[7][8]
Mod. Rock Main. Rock UK
[9]
AUS[10] NLD[11] NOR[12] SWI
[13]
GER
[14]
1997 "My Own Prison" 7 2 My Own Prison
"What's This Life For" 10 1
1998 "Torn" 3
1999 "One" 70 2 2
"Higher" 7 1 1 47 36 64 91 Human Clay
2000 "With Arms Wide Open" 1 2 1 13 4 75 6 70 42
"What If" 102 15 3
"Are You Ready?" 125 37 4
2001 "Riders On The Storm" 28 single-only release
"My Sacrifice" 4 2 1 18 11 44 92 79 Weathered
2002 "Bullets" 27 11
"Hide"
"One Last Breath" 6 17 5 43 89
"Don't Stop Dancing" 48
"Weathered" 30 7

References[]

External links[]

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