Creed began in Tallahassee

Creed began in Tallahassee, Florida in 1994. Founding members vocalist Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti had been classmates in high school and friends at Florida State University . Stapp and Tremonti realized that they had a mutual love of writing music and performing. After multiple discussions and much time spent writing songs, several of which addressed themes of Christian theology and spirituality (due to Stapp’s background as the stepson of a Pentecostal minister), the duo held auditions that led to the recruitment of bassist Brian Marshall , drummer Scott Phillips , and rhythm guitarist Brian Brasher. The five-piece band lasted through 1994, with Brasher leaving in 1995. Creed would remain as a quartet through 2004. After Brasher’s departure, the four musicians collaborated on four songs that would form part of their chart-topping debut album, My Own Prison . The band found local success, playing shows in bars and small dives in Tallahassee. In 2012, Stapp wrote that Creed first performed under the name “Naked Toddler” at Yianni’s in Tallahassee. The name was picked up by Tremonti from a headline in that day’s newspaper, but the reaction that night to the name was negative. The group was trying to find ideas for a better name when Marshall said he had been in a band called Mattox Creed. Stapp latched onto the ‘creed’ aspect, and the band agreed.