Stapp Making Sense

October 3 2009

After erratic behavior, the born-again rock star, Scott Stapp, has found peace and sobriety with the reunited Creed.

Creed singer Scott Stapp may be the first celebrity in the history of celebrity-dom to thank the media for exposing his negative behavior. The reports of his public drunkenness, sex tapes with Kid Rock -- oh, more sins than an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music" -- ended up saving his marriage, his relationship with his kids and his band. Honest.

Stapp, 36, owned up to it in an interview last week. Well, actually it was more like a 45- minute confessional. An opening question about how the Creed reunion tour is going got a maybe 22-minute reply. He credits his wife, his two children and the media for "my come-to-Jesus moment" -- the 2006 breakthrough that made him turn around his binge-drinking, Prednisone-dependent life.

Stapp explained: "When my son came home from school and a couple kids said to him, 'My dad said you drank too much on TV.' He said: 'Daddy, did you? I never saw you that way.' First, I got angry, but then I had to say, 'I can't do things like this.' I've had custody of him [Jagger is 10] since he was 6 months old. He never would have known about [the drinking] unless the media kept tabs. I'm glad they did."

Between 1999 and 2004, Stapp's post- grunge quartet from Florida was one of America's biggest bands, selling more than 35 million albums on the impetus of such hits as "Arms Wide Open" and "Higher." But in 2002, the singer was erratic onstage and off, and Creed quit touring. Two years later, the band officially disbanded. Stapp made two solo CDs and the other musicians formed Alter Bridge with singer Myles Kennedy.

After a series of embarrassing incidents in 2006, Stapp turned to the Bible ("11-18-06," he repeats his sobriety date like a mantra), recommitted himself to his family and, finally late last year, got around to approaching his old bandmates. First, the born-again singer sent a message to Alter Bridge's manager. Yes, guitarist Mark Tremonti -- Stapp's pal since high school -- was willing to talk with him.

"I was singing the national anthem at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando [in December 2008] and Mark came by the hotel," Stapp recalled Tuesday from Glendale, Ariz. "Then, within two weeks, we met as a band and the process just began with talking -- 'How's your family?' 'Did you get my cards?' -- and then we got right at what we felt bonded us together -- jamming."

The result is a new CD, "Full Circle," out Oct. 27, and a "reintroduction tour" (Stapp's words), which visits Target Center on Tuesday.

"I couldn't have dreamed it better," said Stapp, who didn't expect Creed to get rolling so quickly. "It's been a blessing, man. I've been humbled by the whole thing. There's no one's fault but my own. This is a second chance to make new impressions. And we're a better live band than we ever were."

While Creed still uses lots of pyro, one big change is Stapp's hair. Gone is the Jared Allen mullet in favor of a Brett Favre buzz-cut.

"I was talking to my wife and I had an epiphany: She's talking to me like somebody I don't know. That must be that inebriated guy who has just come home after three days -- because I looked like him still even though patterns of behavior have changed. Impulsively, I said, 'Hold on' and I went in the bathroom and shaved my head. I said, 'I want you to see me for what I'm becoming, not who I used to be. I need a fresh look. All I care about is you and the kids and the family.'"

Just then, Stapp put his daughter Milan, 2, fresh from the mall food court, on the phone to say "Hi" and introduce her to the media.

.Jon Bream