Five minutes with former Creed singer Scott Stapp

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Eric Petosky
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Scott Stapp, the voice of the band Creed, performed a concert on RAF Mildenhall Oct. 16 as part of an ongoing Armed Forces and Navy Entertainment tour. 

Before the show, I had a chance to ask him a few questions about himself, the tour, and his music. 

What compelled you to do a tour of military bases? 

You know, I've been asked that a lot, and I've had a lot of time to reflect on it. It's a combination of things - having a father in the military, and recently over the last four conflicts a sister who was in all four. I had a heart for the troops and what they were dealing with and what they were going through, and I didn't know that what I do for a living would be another way to help. In the meantime, we sent care packages and other things, and when I found out about Armed Forces and Navy Entertainment, it was like this is what I am supposed to do with my life right now. After Sept. 11, I think a lot of people felt compelled to do something and they couldn't, so me and my family found out that playing music could help boost morale and just bring a taste of home over here. It just floored me, and I have been humbled by the whole experience. I'm just so glad that we got a chance to do it. It's been a life-changing experience and a dream come true. We've met some wonderful people, and I want to do it again. 

Do you have family in the military? 

My grandfather was in the Navy and my father was in the Air Force. My sister-in-law is a captain in the Army and has served in the last four conflicts, so I've had a lot of the military lifestyle since I was a child. Like I said, my sister Julia has been in those situations and was writing a letter home like it would be her last. When she came home, she was affected but still proud to be an American. She believed in her heart that what she was doing was right, and if they called her up again, she would be right back over there. She is a hero to me, and since I have been over here, I have met many heroes. In my opinion, seeing that is the cream of the crop of American youth. The message I want to take home is these are our heroes, and these people are who I want my children to look up to. I was so compelled that I flew my son and nephew over here. Actually, my wife surprised me, but I had been talking to her about it. I wanted them to see the character, sacrifice, responsibility and all the good things that the armed forces instill in these young men and women who just have a heart and believe what they are doing is right. 

How many locations have you played, and how is the tour going? 

I think we have done 16 to 18 bases. We were scheduled to go into Iraq, but there were some logistical problems that kept us from entering. It's really helped us gain a better appreciation of what these men and women have to deal with on a regular basis. We wanted to come over and say thank you and we appreciate you. It's been a unique feeling to have captains and commanders and privates tell us we have had an impact on a specific deployment and it's been positive. It's just blown my mind. I really wish we could have gotten into Iraq, but we have plans to come back and do it again and spend more time there and hit more bases. We've been to the Middle East, Italy, Greece, Germany, England and the Netherlands. We've tried to go to as many places as could schedule us, and we want to let them know we appreciate them and to give them a good time for a night. Every base we leave we hope we leave it with a positive feeling. 

What is your favorite song to perform and why? 

It changes depending on the mood I am in. There are a few out there that have been exciting. I think it's more about the troops that are there or the families that are there. We've realized the families are such a critical part of this whole thing - they are the rock behind a lot of these men and women. It's been the songs that the audiences react to. Those are the ones that inspire me the most and make me get more passionate and make me sing harder. Or I'll just hand over the microphone and let them sing it. There are also some personal ones - for me it's on my next record called Criminal. That's had a special meaning for me on this tour. I don't know why, it just has. Pray for Sunrise is another new song. It's really meant a lot for me because I can see in these young men and women's eyes that it seems they may have been in a situation where they have had to do that. I know I have, and not when I've been getting bullets shot at me or been away from my family for 15 or 18 months. There has been a lot of emotion on this tour and it's been good. It's something that has changed my life forever. It's affected all of us. 

Any interesting stories so far on the tour? 

Having big huge Marines come up to me with tears in their eyes and talk about how a song we played that night has affected them or marked a memory in their life about their family or an experience they went through or how it got them through a time when they lost a buddy. I remember being in Djibouti, Africa, and seeing a soldier come in about dusk with is head down, tired, and ready for bed. We looked at each other and said hello, and I went out for a smoke break and met him near a tent. He kind of told me about his day and I couldn't believe there was a firefight just on the outskirts of where we were. It was just really intense for me to know that is what he does every day. He gets up and stands at his post and protects, and he believes in his heart he is doing the right thing. And then finding out about all the humanitarian aid that these bases do all over the world that I don't think is covered much in the press in America. People don't know that we are feeding the hungry, putting roofs over people's heads, and clothing the needy. That is something I didn't really know, and it was awesome to find out that we are out here helping in more ways than just trying to win a war. To get back to that soldier, the next morning when we got up for breakfast at like 6 a.m., he was walking back out and he just kind of winked at me with a smile going to do his thing. I think I realized at that moment that here was a hero. All these men and women are heroes. I am just honored to have been asked to do this and to have been exposed to all of it. I feel like a better man because of it. 

Is there a message you would like to send to the troops? 

Keep fighting the good fight in every capacity. Know that we love and appreciate you for the sacrifices you've made. You're all heroes, and we're taking that message back home, and we're going to scream it from the mountaintops. Keep rocking on.