Scott Alan Stapp (born August 8, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the post-grunge band Creed, of which he is a founding member. His debut solo album, The Great Divide, was released in 2005. His second album, Proof of Life, was released on November 5, 2013.[1]
Stapp has received several accolades, including a Grammy Award for Creed's song "With Arms Wide Open" and numerous RIAA certifications. In 2006, Hit Parader ranked Stapp as the 68th greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time.[2]
After Creed announced its breakup In 2004, Stapp recorded the song "Relearn Love" with 7 Aurelius and The Tea Party for The Passion of the Christ: Songs, a collection of tracks inspired by the 2004 Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ.[22] 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 No. 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.[23] His backing band for the record and live shows 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.[24]
On August 18, 2010, Stapp 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."[25] Creed's touring rhythm guitarist Eric Friedman joined Stapp on the acoustic tour.[26]The short solo acoustic tour began September 28, 2010, and concluded November 20, 2010.[27]
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.[28] 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".
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". The album was released on September 21, 2010.[29]
Stapp confirmed in 2010 that his tentative second album, named Between Lust and Love, would be a double album, 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."[30] The album was produced by Stapp with veteran producer Desmond Child.[31] Eleven tracks from the album were recorded in late 2010, and Stapp thought to record ten more songs in next year.[32] In 2011, album title was changed to Somewhere in the Middle of Lust and Love,[33] however due to the Creed reunion and tour in 2012, Stapp postponed the record to 2013, but finally was shelved indefinitely.[34] A song from this unreleased album, "A Prayer For Sunrise", was released in 2012 to promote his autobiography titled Sinner's Creed.
In September 18, 2013, Stapp has confirmed that his definitive second album will be Proof of Life. It was produced by Howard Benson and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge. On October 8, 2013 the song "Slow Suicide" went to radio; it is available digitally and several pre-order options also are offered on Stapp’s website.[1] His backing band for Proof of Life Tour consists of Andy Wood and Travis Comer on guitars, former Daughtry touring bassist Andy Waldeck, and Breaking Benjamin and Black Label Society drummer Chad Szeliga.[35]
Solo albums
- 2005: The Great Divide
- 2013: Proof of Life
