During his appearance on the “Johnny Dare Morning Show,” Creed frontman Scott Stapp reflected on what it was like to reunite with his bandmates after publicly battling his substance abuse problems and mental health issues.
“This is very cliché, but it’s so true. It’s not how many times we fall. What makes a man or a woman is getting back up,” Stapp said. “We’re all gonna get knocked down, no matter whether it’s by our own choices or by life circumstances, but you’ve gotta keep getting up.”
“And I think that doing that and having that will — it doesn’t make me special; we all have it in us — to not let life defeat us, to keep getting up, I think it just continues to build a strength inside of you that ends up inevitably leading to good things happening. And hence me and the boys getting back together again and everything that’s happening now. And then having this wealth of experience that I hope I can continue to share with people and let them know they’re not alone and that, man, if I can do it, anybody can do it,” he added.
While Stapp has largely maintained his sobriety in recent years, he does admit that he’s had a few slip-ups.
“Oh, man. I have had two or three slips in 10 years. And so when I say slips, it’s three or four hours and then I’m, like, ‘What am I doing?’ and then [get] right back on track. So, I say I’ve had three or four bad days in 10 years. So that’s serious progress for me. And this whole thing, they say, it’s about progress, not perfection. But needless to say, that’s a win for me and I’m sober today. And I plan to be sober tomorrow. And so I just take it one day at a time and keep moving forward.”
When asked if he finds it scary to perform completely sober, Stapp said: “No, I love it. I love it, man. I mean, you feel and see and process everything. And the energy that is happening up there between the audience and the band, to be in it and living it and experiencing it with a clear mind and a clear body and a healthy mind and a healthy body, it’s the only way to do it, man. And it allows me to deliver the best performances of my life, in my opinion, and then also be fully present to engage in the audience and to seize moments as they come up. And I think it just makes for an unforgettable experience for all involved.”
Stapp also added that one of the biggest things he has learned is to enjoy every moment.
“That’s one thing that I’ve learned over the years, is just stay in the moment, stay in the present, appreciate these good things in life because they can all be gone tomorrow,” he said. “And I think that’s one thing that we’ve all learned in the band as well as in our personal lives, is to cherish relationships, nurture relationships, and don’t take anything for granted because it can all be gone tomorrow, especially when good things are happening in your life.”
