SUM 41 Front Man Deryck Whibley Marks 10 Years of Sobriety
Everyone remembers when SUM 41 front man Deryck Whibley landed in the hospital after alcohol caused his kidneys and liver to shut down. It was a frightening time, especially since he was put in a medically-induced coma for seven days in order to stave off withdrawal symptoms.
Whibley got through it though; he also got sober. In fact, he’s just announced his 10th year of sobriety.
Considering last year’s craziness, it’s probably good that he’s sober. In September of ‘23 the Canadian born singer was hospitalized with pneumonia; then in May his band SUM 41 announced they’d be calling it quits after 27 years. In other words, Whibley got hit with things only the sober could handle.
The band’s going out with a bang though. A 20-song double-LP called Heaven :x: Hell that’s as celestial as it is ferocious. Seriously. In fact, one would think SUM 41 are in their 20s rather than their 30s and 40s; it’s that raw and raucous.
Two sides of 10 songs each go against each other. The Heaven side features the singles “Waiting on a Twist of Fate” and “Landmines”. The Hell side features the track “Rise Up.” From all reports, the album is out-performing all of its predecessors. Even the single “Landmines” charted higher than Sum 41 signature songs “Fat Lip” and “In Too Deep.”
“I couldn’t be happier and more proud of what we’ve done in SUM 41,” Whibley told Blabbermouth. “The band is in the best place we’ve ever been. 10 years ago we were at our lowest point personally and professionally. Not on speaking terms and couldn’t even be in a room together. Members gone and quitting, tours not selling and no prospects of being played on the radio anymore and the future looking less than zero.”
Sum Sobriety
But what about sobriety…well, In a recent interview with People magazine, Whibley reflected on the worst moments of his alcohol addiction, saying that he often drank as a means to subside the symptoms of his long-lingering back pain.
“Because it was just nonstop touring, I never really took care of it,” he said. “Things got worse, and I got to a point where we just put out a record, and I injured my back again for I think the third time. And it was really, really bad and really painful. The only options were to go home, cancel the rest of the years of touring and let that album just die, or take heavy painkillers. I don’t remember what they were, but after seeing what became of the [oxycodone] epidemic across the U.S., I didn’t really want to take any of that stuff.”
“What I did notice was, when I had a couple drinks at night, my back pain would go away,” he continued. “So I just thought, you know what? I can get through the tour because I pop some Advil, have a couple drinks, and I think I’ll be fine. I just kept going on the tour.”
As his pain got worse, “my drinking started earlier in the day,” he said. “It just kept getting earlier and earlier because I was trying to self-medicate, trying to get through the tour…. All of a sudden if I didn’t have a drink, my body starts shaking, my hands are shaking, and I would say to myself, ‘I don’t really want to drink right now.’ But I had realized like, ‘Oh my God, I’m having withdrawal syndrome, so I have to have a drink.’ Then everything would mellow out. I’d feel better. But then you also feel good, because you just had a drink or two and you’re like, ‘Man, well, let’s have another one. I’ve already had two. What’s three?’ And then, ‘What’s one more?’ It just gets worse and worse and worse.
Back on Instagram, he gave credit where due:
“I really want to thank the few people who really helped me out at the very beginning and made me feel like I was not alone. @tommylee @iggypopofficial @mattsorum @duffmckagen @johnfeldy”.
Healing Properties
Healing Properties congratulates Sum 41 leader Deryck Whibley on his decade of sobriety. Ten days isn’t easy; 10 years is miraculous! We’re glad to see you and the band are reaping the rewards. And remember, if you or someone you love is having substance abuse issues, give us a call. We’ve been helping men get and stay sober since 2002; we’d be honored to help you too.
