Sum 41's Deryck Whibley 'dying to get back on stage'

Photo: Deryck Whibley

Sum 41 frontman Deryk Whibley has spoken out about his recovery from his near-death battle with alcoholism, adding that he is 'dying to get back on stage' again.

Last year, the pop-punk star was admitted to hospital after heavy drinking led to his liver and kidneys collapsing - adding that if he had one more drink, he would die. Now, speaking to Noisey, the 35-year-old 'Fat Lip' singer and guitarist reveals that he is keen to return to the stage. 

"I still have trouble with my walking, because being in the hospital for that long, everything just depleted," he said. "My muscles, everything. I couldn’t walk for the longest time, and I’m still re-training myself to walk normally. The doctors say it’s been going quickly, but it feels pretty slow to me. I am dying to get onstage."

He continued: "I don’t know what to do with myself. I feel like I’m ready. That’s the only thing that’s been keeping me going and working hard. Everything in my life is to get back onstage."

Adding that he is ccurrently feeling "better than I’ve ever felt" and is in "the best shape of my life", he revealed that he was struggling to stay stood up after his ordeal: "I have slight fears. Not really drinking fears, but I hope my balance for my legs is going to be fine. I just don’t want to fall over."

Revealing what turned him to drink, Whibley puts it down to the stresses and strains of touring. "I drank to wake me up and get that fake energy," he said. "There were a lot of times I didn't even want to drink, but I was so tired that shots of Jack were all I could do to get on stage."

He added: "The doctors said I was lucky to be alive and that there was still a chance I could die.  I do look back and think about how much worse it could have been. I could have had way more health problems than I had, but my liver is fine!"

Photographed on a walk in Los Angeles with his fiancee and a friend, who were holding his hands in support, the Sum 41 frontman looked incredibly thin and ill at the time of his treatment. 

Deryck Whibley (lead singer from @sum41) before and after some hardcore alcohol abuse. Hope he fully recovers :( #yyc pic.twitter.com/I6KPWDM0rN

— Crackmacs (@Crackmacs) May 20, 2014

Sum 41's Deryck Whibley was recently hospitalised. Kerrang! wish him a speedy recovery. http://t.co/KSUkamwgd6 pic.twitter.com/5oPQYjecR4

— Kerrang! Magazine (@KerrangMagazine) May 19, 2014

Speaking on Deryckwhibley.net in a post entitled Rock Bottom at the time of his hospitalisation, he apologised to fans for his month long absence but also took the time to explain the extent of his alcohol abuse and the effect that it has had on him. 

"I've been very sick in the hospital for a month and was pretty sick for a few weeks leading up to my trip to the hospital. The reason I got so sick is from all the hard boozing I've been doing over the years. It finally caught up to me. I was drinking hard every day," he wrote.

"I finally realized I can't drink anymore," he said after explaining how his fiance drove him to hospital after he collapsed. "If I have one drink the doc's say I will die. I'm not preaching or anything but just always drink responsibly."  

It's not all doom and gloom however for the Sum 41 singer as he wrote that he had been feeling inspired to write music again. "Anyway I have my passion and inspiration back for writing music," he added. "I already have a few song ideas for new songs. Soon it will be time to start making an album and getting back to touring again."