Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Q

How battling alcoholism transformed Sum 41's Deryck Whibley

After a gruelling year-long recovery from alcoholism, the Sum 41 frontman is back with new music and a new perspective: "I want more out of life than I had before."
CBC Radio ·
Q22:19What almost dying taught Sum 41's Deryck Whibley about work

"Will I be able to do anything again?"

After years of making music that took him to concert halls, awards shows and studios, Sum 41's Deryck Whibley found himself in a very unlikely place in 2014 — a hospital bed. 

Whibley posted a photo of himself on his blog laying in a hospital bed after his kidney and liver failed from serious alcohol abuse. 

In 2014, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley posted a photo to his blog. It showed him laid in a hospital bed after liver failure due to alcoholism. He spent a year in recovery and is back with new music. (http://deryckwhibley.net/)

The blog post called Rock Bottom chronicles the frontman's year-long journey to recovery which included learning how to walk again. "The pain in my feet was so bad it felt like I was walking on fire," he remembers. 

In addition to the physical recovery, his life post-hospital bed involved re-learning how to just be himself without alcohol. Over time and practice he was able to write music again, songs that are featured on Sum 41's sixth album, 13 Voices, coming out on Oct. 7th. 

After years of touring and putting out new music, Deryck Whibley found himself in a hospital bed and a recovery that started with learning how to walk again. (Melody Lau/CBC)

He joins guest host Candy Palmater to share the struggles of recovery. He's hit his stride again musically and is in a better head space. "I enjoy the person that I am now way more because of what I went through," he says.

WEB EXTRA | Below is the video for War, the first single off Sum 41's forthcoming album, 13 Voices.

More from this episode

Related Stories