Photo by Jeremy Cowart

To say that Scott Stapp’s road to recovery has been bumpy would be a massive understatement. The former Creed singer’s drug problem the last few years resulted in him not only becoming penniless, but also paranoid to the point of desperately needing professional help.

Stapp says he’s now sober and partially attributes his strong will to stay clean to the late Scott Weiland — well, specifically, his ghost. In an interview with GQ (via Stereogum), Stapp explained he once rented the same tour bus where Weiland died of an accidental overdose in 2015, and it was there that he encountered the spirit of the Stone Temple Pilots frontman.

“All of a sudden, it was almost like Weiland speaking to me from the grave, man,” recalled Stapp. “It was a very weird feeling that I felt. I remember being in the bathroom, looking in the mirror, on the bus, and really feeling like I could hear or feel him saying, ‘Dude, this could have been you. And this could be you if you continue that path. Don’t do what I did. Don’t go down that road.’ And, literally, I’m having this moment.”

The supernatural meeting of the two Scotts made a lasting impression on Stapp, one that’s supposedly kept him from falling off the wagon. “It was just one of those weird things that kinda, like, the stars aligned, the universe arranged itself at the right time to further impact me and further solidify my commitment to my recovery,” he noted. “It was definitely one of those God moments. I get goosebumps right now just talking about it. It was a God moment.” Do you hear what I hear? Cue: Creed’s 1999 hit “Higher”.

After fooling much of the internet into believing he’d be replacing Weiland in STP, Stapp announced he’d be actually joining the hard rock outfit Art of Anarchy. They recently put out a new album called The Madness.

Below, revisit our 2014 video interview with Stapp.