'I'm starting fresh': Sum 41's Deryck Whibley looks back on his life through heaven and hell
For nearly 30 years, Sum 41 has been one of Canada's most beloved and successful rock bands, but this year they're hanging it up. They recently played one final concert at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena, and next month they'll be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2025 Juno Awards.
But the big news around the band hasn't been about their farewell tour. What's more interesting is that lead singer Deryck Whibley is now sharing the untold story of Sum 41 for the very first time. He recently released a memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell, which reveals surprising and harrowing details from his life that he says his own bandmates weren't even aware of.
"The whole story is just kind of out there," Whibley tells Q 's Tom Power in an interview over Zoom from his home in Las Vegas. "There's no secrets. I've let everything out. And now I just feel like I'm starting fresh completely with everything. Like, my whole life."
WATCH | Deryck Whibley's full interview with Tom Power:
In his conversation with Power, Whibley shares some of the stories from his memoir, including what it was like being raised by a single mom in small-town Ontario, how he discovered he had a talent for music, and why Sum 41's big hit In Too Deep was recorded and almost released by two different bands before Sum 41.
But Whibley also touches on some of the more difficult subjects from his book, such as his battle with alcoholism that nearly killed him, and his troubled relationship with Sum 41's former manager, Greig Nori.
"It was really hard to go there, but it's something that I had been struggling with and had buried, and at the same time, it was a constant thing in my mind," he says. "If I was to leave it out or skirt around it somehow and act like it never happened … then I'd be lying. I'm like, well, how can I put out a book about my life if I'm going to leave out this huge thing?"
Before publishing his memoir, Whibley had never told anyone about his alleged abuse, including his bandmates. He says he's still processing it now, but it's getting easier to talk about.
"I love my life, I love everything I've been through," Whibley says. "Sure, there's been some tough moments and things that I don't want to relive or would never wish my kids go through, but my life's incredible. I mean, I have everything I've ever dreamed of and music gave that to me."
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