Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley has celebrated completing a decade of sobriety, and has shared memories of his recovery from alcohol addiction.
- READ MORE: Sum 41 tell us about “aggressive” final album ‘Heaven :x: Hell’: “It’s the perfect way to go out”
In 2014, the singer fell unconscious due to heavy drinking, causing his liver and kidneys to collapse. At the time, he confirmed that he had been told that if he had one more drink, he would die.
Now, the 44-year-old has shared his reflections on the life-changing events in a lengthy Instagram post, explaining that he was “determined not to end the story there”.
“This post is a little late for two reasons. One, I’ve never counted the days of my sobriety. There’s nothing wrong with counting. It just didn’t suit me. And two, I rarely know what the actual date is, ever!” he began.
“10 years ago on April 15th, I went into the hospital with liver and kidney failure due to what had become excessive drinking. My drinking didn’t start out that way, it usually doesn’t. But eventually I crossed the invisible line and went from functional and in control, to addicted and dependent. Most of you know, i was in pretty bad shape.
“So today, I couldn’t be happier to be able to say that I haven’t picked up a drink since that fateful day and now have a full decade of being sober, healthy, physically and mentally strong and most importantly really happy.”
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He went on to say that he is “in the best place I’ve ever been in my life”, thanks to the support of his wife and their two children.
“And I couldn’t be happier and more proud of what we’ve done in Sum 41,” he added. “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.
“As I laid in that hospital bed looking at the tatters my life had become, I vowed that if I survived this mess I created for myself and got out of here, I was going to fight, work and scrape our way back to the top again. I was determined not let the story end there.”
“I write this not to brag, but to recognize and be grateful for the moment. I’m glad it was hard to get here. I’m happy it took a lot of work and wasn’t easy. And most of all i’m thankful for all the help.”
Last September, Whibley found himself back in hospital following a pneumonia diagnosis, after contracting a cold that spiralled into COVID-19. Despite a brief scare, he was soon sent home to recover.
The band released their eighth and final record ‘Heaven :x: Hell’ in March. It is a double album, with the ‘Heaven’ side featuring 10 tracks of pop-punk-inspired music, influenced by their 2001’s ‘All Killer, No Filler’ and 2002’s ‘Does This Look Infected?’, and ‘Hell’ showcasing the heavier style that has defined recent Sum 41 releases like 2019’s ‘Order In Decline’.
At the end of 2023, Whibley spoke to NME about the record, saying, “there’s more to the album than nostalgia.”
“Even if I tried to write ‘All Killer, No Filler’ again, I wouldn’t be able to,” he added. “It just doesn’t come out the same. The songs sound like they could be from those eras though.”
In a three-star review, NME wrote: “Truly a melting pot of soundscapes cherry-picked from their career, ‘Heaven :x: Hell’ is a fitting last hurrah for a band who sealed their place in history long ago.”
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