FUSE TV - Scott Stapp Talks Near-Death Experiences, Michael Jackson & New Creed Album

In the video for his latest song “Slow Suicide,” Creed frontman Scott Stapp details a Behind the Music-worthy life that includes physical abuse as a child and, in adulthood, battles with alcohol, drugs and severe depression. In his 2012 autobiography Sinner’s Creed, the singer revealed that he tried to commit suicide by jumping over a Miami hotel balcony and falling 40 feet. Stapp fractured his skull, among other life-threatening injuries, and laid on the ground for two-and-a-half hours before T.I. stumbled upon the near-lifeless singer and saved his life.

The 40-year-old admits that he's "dealt with the demons I needed to deal with" and is now sober and ready to help others.  Stapp recently released Proof of Life, his first solo album since his 2005 debut The Great Divide, recounting the Miami incident ("Hit Me More") and detailing his bouts with self-destruction ("Who I Am") and redemption ("New Day Coming"). He spoke to Fuse about Michael Jackson, relapsing and when (or if) we'll ever see another Creed album.

In your new song “Crash,” you detail a second near-death experience besides the more publicized incident in Miami. What happened?

That song comes from a lesson learned from a moment in my journey where it almost ended again. I had gotten off a Creed tour in 2002 because I didn’t want to let everybody down. I decided, “Sure, whatever [drugs] the rock docs want to give me to keep the machine going, shoot me up, coach.” I didn’t want to be the guy who let 100 people down, but I didn’t understand the consequences of the medications I was letting them put inside my body and what those steroidal anti-inflammatories can do to your psyche. I got to a place, after going through hardcore withdrawal for 45 straight days, where the thought of ending my life became a harsh reality. My heart was like, “Man, I don’t want to let the band down. I want to be the hero.”

But my body failed me onstage in Chicago. No one knew the reality of what was going on behind the scenes. To the public, I just looked like another arrogant, drunk rock star who’s acting like an idiot. They don’t know that I said, “Do whatever you have to do to me to keep me performing.” And I crashed. I’m not typically a suicidal person, but I was in the throes of chemical withdrawal and the psychosis brought on by steroidal anti-inflammatories and benzodiazepines they were giving me to sleep and wake up. It was like an Elvis situation.