'I Was out of My Mind'

the beat Q&A ‘I WAS OUT 0 OF MY MIND’ After a scary breakdown, ex-Creed frontman Scott Stapp turns to reality TV to put his life, marriage and band back together BY MARK YARM cott Stapp once was one of the excessive amount of a] prescription for biggest rock stars in the world: a diagnosis I had, had a bad reaction “I was out of my mind,” says In 1999, his band, Creed, and went into an actual psychosis. I was Stapp, blaming drugs released Human Clay, which out of my mind, unstable, and at risk of and bipolar disorder. S Above: Onstage in went on to sell 11.7 million copies, putting myself in danger. London in 2014. according to Nielsen Music, by mixing Left: With wife Jaclyn on post-grunge sounds with Christian What was the scariest part? VH1’s Couples Therapy. spirituality. In 2004 the Florida group Scott I remember desperately trying split, with bandmates blaming Stapp’s to convince my wife that what I was increasingly erratic behavior. Ten years believing was real — that I was being later, after arrests, suicide attempts and followed, that I was involved in some a short Creed reunion (see story, below), type of mind-control experiment. I Stapp hit bottom, posting a bizarre couldn’t understand why she couldn’t a big part: “Mom, you should really do writing. I’m going on tour next year, video to Facebook in which he claimed believe me. this.” We had a backup plan to leave if and we’re starting a campaign to raise he was broke, homeless and “under Jaclyn Stapp Our family thought, we felt it wasn’t real therapy. We learned awareness for mental-health issues some kind of vicious attack.” That was “This is just another drug-and-alcohol very fast that it was very real. based upon a song I wrote. And Creed followed by reports that Stapp, thinking relapse.” I looked at it as selfish: He’s has a retrospective coming out in he was a CIA agent, had threatened choosing drugs and alcohol over us. I You’re on Couples Therapy with reality November. It’s three CDs, with hits, the life of President Obama. In May, had to leave; it was heartbreaking. A few vets like Janice Dickinson and Mob favorite album picks, acoustic versions Stapp, 42, and wife Jaclyn, with whom weeks later I saw how mentally ill he Wives’ “Big Ang.” How did you fit in? of all the hits, live performances, he has three kids, revealed what was was, so I stayed in communication. Jaclyn We were the only couple who unreleased demos. behind his breakdown: bipolar disorder, were married with three kids. We’re exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse. The Secret Service investigated talking about real-life issues — life and Creed has been inactive since 2012. Stapp sought treatment, and in what he threats Scott allegedly made against death and children. Have there been discussions about says is an effort to rebuild his marriage, Obama. What was it like getting a Scott It was uncomfortable, because getting the band back together? signed on with Jaclyn for season six of visit from them? our motives for being there were real. Scott Definitely. I ran into Mark VH1’s reality show Couples Therapy, Scott It’s just surreal that it played out [Tremonti, guitarist] at the Hard Rock which premieres Oct. 7. Stapp, that far. They sit down, ask you a bunch Judging from the first episode, your Hotel in Orlando a couple months now sober and on medication, and of questions and determine whether biggest clashes were with Dickinson. back, and we spent hours hanging Jaclyn spoke with Billboard about his you’re a threat — I wasn’t. Jaclyn Janice has a larger-than-life by the pool, talking. We all are busy precipitous fall and recovery, which personality. We’re a little bit more working on our other passions, but includes solo music and hopes to Were you worried about appearing reserved, and nervous with all the there’s definitely going to be some reunite Creed. on a reality show? cameras 24/7. We exchanged some Creed in the future, starting with this EIMAGE. CREED: SCOTT LEGATO/FILMMAGIC. KID ROCK: ANDREW TOTH/FILMMAGIC Scott We consulted our therapist, words; there were a lot of things we retrospective. So when the time’s What was going on behind the our psychiatrist, our psychologist, our didn’t agree on. right in the next year-and-a -half, I’m scenes when you made that video? pastor. We felt like we made the right expecting some new Creed music. Scott Stapp I had a relapse, and it decision after [that]. Scott, will you be returning to music? Nothing’s set in stone, but it’s on the was extremely humiliating to me, Jaclyn There was fear, but we made this Scott This journey I’ve been on over radar. We’re all communicating, and my family and my friends. I took [an a family decision. Our teenage son was the last year has inspired a lot of that’s where it starts. Arrests, sex-tape scandals, suicide attempts thwarted by famous STAPP’S ROCKY ROAD friends — the singer’s post-Creed path has been drama-filled JAILBIRD SAVING GRACE CREED’S DEMISE SEX-TAPE LEAK Stapp has been Stapp claims he The act split Stapp and Kid arrested numerous jumped from a in 2004, with Rock were filmed times, for public hotel balcony in bandmates receiving oral sex intoxication, 2006, fracturing his blaming Stapp’s from groupies in reckless driving skull. Who found ills. They briefly the late ’90s, but and assault after him and got him reunited in 2009 the tape didn’t a domestic abuse to the hospital? for a tour and LP: surface until 2006 incident with wife Rapper T.I., whom Guitarist Mark — just days after Jaclyn (the charges Stapp called his Tremonti described Scott and Jaclyn were dropped). “guardian angel.” it as “slow suicide.” were married. SCOTT STAPP: © BURAK CINGI/UPPA/ZUMAPRESS.COM. JACLYN STAPP: PIOTR SIKORA FOR MUGSHOT: VH1. SPLASH NEWS. T.I.: JASON KEMPIN/WIR 30 BILLBOARD | OCTOBER 3, 2015.

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