LOS ANGELES, CA – As the sun peers hesitantly over the City of Angels, somewhere in the dark corners of a well-worn recording studio, Scott Stapp, the once golden-voiced frontman of the iconic band Creed, finds himself in a predicament more twisted than the lyrical ambiguities of their mega-hit “With Arms Wide Open”.
Let’s get one thing straight, folks: Stapp’s got a problem. His pockets are as barren as a nun’s love life, and his drug dealer’s on speed dial. But before you start sobbing into your ’90s nostalgia-laden band tees, consider this: Could it be time for Creed to regroup, lay down some tracks, and pump out another platinum album purely to fund Stapp’s insatiable appetite for mind-altering substances?
Brian “Bongo” McGuffin, the band’s former drummer and self-proclaimed ‘Clean Guy,’ seems reluctant. “Look, I’ve got my own life now. I’ve got kids, a mortgage, a sensible Honda Civic. Why would I want to get back into the whirlwind of rock and roll? And just to keep Scott in designer narcotics?“
But let’s not forget, Bongo, that whirlwind also bought you that four-bedroom suburban dream and the sensible Honda Civic, didn’t it?
Over in sunny Florida, Creed’s erstwhile guitarist, Mark “Thunderstrum” Tremonti, is reportedly less averse to the idea, though his motivations are, shall we say, less than altruistic. “If getting the band back together means Scott can afford his next fix, and in return, I get to afford that sweet Gibson Les Paul I’ve been eyeing, well, let’s just say that’s a win-win.“
And there you have it. The harsh, discordant symphony of the music industry: One man’s drug habit is another man’s new guitar.
In a heart-wrenching confession, Stapp himself admitted to the need for a little help, confessing, “I’ve got a monkey on my back, man, and this monkey’s got expensive tastes.” Yes, Scott, we know. We’ve seen the TMZ reports.
Will the saga of Scott Stapp culminate in a triumphant return to the stage, microphone in one hand, suspicious white powder in the other? Or will it merely serve as a sombre reminder of the toll that fame, fortune, and a predilection for illegal substances can take on our heroes?
Stay tuned. This one will be a rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than Stapp’s last trip to the drugstore.
