Creed stands out as a grassroots phenomenon, built fan-by-fan from the ground up. The Tallahassee, Florida quartet combines big guitars, dramatic vocals and bold lyrics to make music that is real – music with which real people can identify. Fans also jam radio station request lines, helping Creed to become the first band to ever have three songs in the top 20 of Billboard Monitor’s Rock chart at the same time. Their debut album, My Own Prison, was certified TRIPLE-PLATINUM in February, 1999. Creed is also a live band of rare potency. "Each performance is an intense experience for us," says singer Scott Stapp. "We play from the heart. I think that’s important the first time you see a band that you’re in love with. When we play, you can see the sweat dripping off my face and the spit coming out of my mouth. You can reach out and almost touch us. And I want to be able to see the audience. I want to be able to make eye contact with everyone in the room. It’s a show for the band, too. We’re looking at all these faces in the crowd and they’re putting on a show for us." Candor, commitment, and fervor are the hallmarks of Creed, comprised of Stapp and fellow songwriter/guitarist Mark Tremonti, and the assertive rhythm section made up of bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. Creed is a young band, but somehow they play together like seasoned pros.

Frontman Scott Stapp was raised in a devoutly religious (Pentecostal) household, the effects of which have shaped his songwriting and world-view. He grew up singing in church and also nurtured a Southerner’s love for Elvis. Rock music was forbidden in his home. For punishment he often had to copy -- word-for-word – entire books (usually Psalms or Proverbs) from the Bible and had to write essays about their meanings. Not surprisingly, imagery from the Bible pops up frequently in Stapp’s lyrics. "There’s always a spiritual thrust to what I’m writing," Stapp says. "Spiritual, not religious. For me, religion was about ‘what not to do.’ Spirituality opens you up, sets you free."

In direct defiance to the strict follow-it-blindly-do-not-think-for-yourself religion with which he was raised, Stapp left home at 17, started listening to rock music and began writing songs that questioned everything around him. Initially turned on to heavy rock by Def Leppard’s Pyromania, he soon began his personal search. Stapp is a huge Doors fan. He read that Jim Morrison had briefly lived in Tallahassee and soon packed his bags for the relatively close-to-home college town/state capital. He had a one-week stint of being homeless (he lived in his car) before getting settled, hooking up with former classmate, guitarist Mark Tremonti and beginning his first and only band - Creed.

In 1997, Creed released My Own Prison (recorded for $6,000 with local producer John Kurzweg – "He’s amazing," Stapp says, "people will be hearing a lot about John.") with funding from a local concert promoter. The album garnered local radio airplay, which fueled regional sales of 3,000 albums in just two months. Wind-up signed Creed shortly thereafter. My Own Prison was remixed by Ron Saint-Germain (Tool, Soundgarden, 311) and re-released in August of 1997. The debut single, "My Own Prison," quickly became the first of three consecutive #1 Rock radio singles ("Torn" and "What’s This Life For" are the other two).

Creed’s songs are not light-hearted. Judging from the huge amount of mail the band receives, most of the fans identify with Stapp’s self-examination and scrutiny of society. However, he never pretends to have all the answers. Creed fans relate to the fact that Stapp is trying to figure things out right along with them, raising questions and thinking for himself. On My Own Prison, Stapp’s lyrics have themes including self-reliance and responsibility (title track), organized religion vs. spirituality ("In America"), survival ("Torn"), compassion ("Sister") and the suicide of a former classmate of Stapp and Tremonti ("What’s This Life For").

With influences from Metallica to Jim Morrison, and R&B to Black Flag, Creed’s music is rich in texture. (It makes sense that Stapp’s an R&B fan; in the shower, he used to sing along with the a cappella parts on Take 6 records). The band’s musical range is evident on My Own Prison -- from the dazzling guitar and drums interplay of "Ode" and the graceful six-string playing on "Pity for a Dime" to the throbbing bass line of "Illusion" and the way in which the full-blown assault of "Unforgiven" switches gears to the syncopated rhythms of "Sister." When combined with Stapp’s heartfelt vocals, the results are memorable. Throughout the record, there’s a palpable sense of cohesion. While theirs is an egalitarian spirit, the members of Creed found their collective voice in Stapp’s highly personal lyrics.

"We get along extremely well in this band," he says, "We’re more like a family than just a band." He found, too, that his experience provided ample material for lyrics. Take the stunning title-track to "My Own Prison," for example. "I wrote it about 4:00 in the morning," Scott says, "I realized I was building up reasons to blame people. I was getting bitter. Writing the song was a turning point. I realized that I’m responsible, we’re all responsible for our lives."

Creed continues to live up to their promise, every week gaining new followers to join their swelling ranks. "At the gigs," Scott says, "We find that about half the audience knows the record really well. The other half have heard of us. They seem to want to hear more. So we play even harder."