Released in August 1998, Creed's debut album, My Own Prison, quickly made an impact on the US Billboard charts, after initially being released independently six months earlier.
The band was formed by Scott Stapp (b. 8 August 1973, Orlando, Florida, USA; vocals), Mark Tremonti (b. 18 April 1974, Detroit, Michigan, USA; guitar, vocals), Brian Marshall (b. 24 April 1974, Florida, USA; bass) and Scott Phillips (b. 22 February 1973, Madison, Florida, USA; drums). Singer-songwriter Stapp put Creed's connection with its fanbase down to the Tallahassee, Florida, USA band's sense of personal honesty and integrity: "However they may interpret our music, I think they're feeling the honesty and passion of it, and they know it's sincere." Stapp had dropped out of Florida State University, where he was studying to be a lawyer, to pursue his musical interests. He became estranged from his religious parents, and most of the lyrics for Creed's debut were written while he slept in his car. Despite his parental troubles, My Own Prison contained an unmistakably spiritual edge. Although there are similarities between Stapp's vocals and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, the material was strong. Producer John Kurzweg worked on both versions of the album, with final mixing for the Wind-up reissue conducted by Soundgarden producer Ron Saint-Germain. The album reached a peak position of 22 on the US album chart. The follow-up, Human Clay, debuted at number 1 in October 1999, confirming the band as one of the most popular rock acts of the late 90s.
