Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley will be releasing his memoir, “Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven And Hell,” on October 8. The following was said about the book in a press release:
“A candid memoir of music, fame, and endurance, WALKING DISASTER: My Life Through Heaven and Hell (on-sale October 8, 2024; Gallery Books) follows the rise of lead singer of Sum 41 Deryck Whibley from a punk kid to an international star.
From his earliest days growing up in Canada, Deryck Whibley was a punk who loved music and couldn’t wait to achieve something bigger and better than the humble path that lay before him. Sum 41 was born of a group of friends who loved to jam, shared a DIY ethos, and were determined to be rock stars one day. Whibley takes you backstage, into the recording booth, and through the highest highs and lowest lows of the band whose story is inextricably woven with his own.
With his insightful, earnest, and genuine voice, Whibley gets real about fame, fortune, and the music industry. In an interview, Whibley can discuss the following:
UNTOLD STORY OF SUM 41: On the 41st day of summer 1996, Deryck and friends went to The Warped Tour and were inspired by NOFX, Pennywise, and more to start Sum 41. Deryck can discuss meeting future bandmates Dave “Brownsound” Baksh (lead guitar) and Jason “Cone” McCaslin (bass) in their small-town, Canadian high school and initially hating Steve “Stevo” Jocz (drums). As a teen, Deryck developed tinnitus from playing local bars and basement parties, and at 16, he snuck backstage to meet Treble Charger’s lead singer Greig Nori, Sum 41’s soon-to-be manager.
ROAD TO SUCCESS: Deryck can discuss signing his first music publishing deal at 17 with EMI. While skipping school, Deryck wrote “In Too Deep” in all of 10 minutes, a song Nori nearly gave away. Interested in fusing old school rap with punk rock, Deryck also took rap lessons from MC Shan. After high school, Deryck’s mom gave Sum 41 a two-year ultimatum to break out. All the major labels rejected them until Sum 41 sent them a homemade music video of their antics and pranks, sparking mischief-fueled meetings with execs. After a bidding war, Sum 41 signed a $3.5M record deal with Island Def Jam, becoming the label’s first rock band with the biggest deal ever signed by a Canadian band.
FIRST TASTE OF FAME: Deryck can discuss overcoming enormous songwriting pressure, as Sum 41’s first single “Makes No Difference” took off. The popularity of “Fat Lip” on MTV and “Still Waiting” on the radio sparked a sold-out headlining tour. Everything changed when Sum 41 opened MTV’s 20th anniversary special with Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford. Suddenly, they were appearing on morning shows and SNL with Seann William Scott. While their first album All Killer No Filler had gone multi-platinum worldwide, it would be years before money would trickle down.
DATING PARIS HILTON, MARRIAGE TO AVRIL LAVIGNE: Deryck and Paris had a whirlwind six-month relationship based on sex, cocaine, booze, and partying. He remembers the heiress’ sweeter side and love of animals as well as faking an orgy with Scott Weiland. In 2002, Deryck instantly hit it off with a shy Canadian star named Avril Lavigne. Nori turned the band against her, and their seven-year relationship was a paparazzi circus.
TROUBLEMAKER OVERCOMING THE ODDS: Born to a teen mom, Deryck had moved 19 times by age 17, often living in rough, poor neighborhoods. Deryck can discuss his mother’s four-year marriage to an abusive drug dealer and how learning this man wasn’t his real father ignited his ambition. Often bullied for his size, Deryck picked fights to prove he was tough. Inspired by Ferris Bueller, his taste for mischief escalated to vandalizing a school bus and an arrest at 14. Devasted by disappointing his mom, Deryck cut off the kids from his past. Deryck can discuss embracing unpopularity at school, spiking his hair and dying it blue.
ROCKSTAR LIFESTYLE: As a teen, Deryck explored the 90s rave scene, experimenting with drugs and alcohol with local stars. Later, Deryck recalls how record labels would supply alcohol and coke in private back rooms at strip clubs. The band would tape themselves trashing hotels, using the videos for marketing way before YouTube. Deryck’s adventures also took a darker turn when a horrific night of hallucinations in Tokyo resulted in an anxiety and panic disorder.
BAND DYNAMICS, POWER, & EGO: In 2004, a charity trip to the Congo, got Sum 41 stuck in an active warzone. The terrifying experience left the band with PTSD, leading to more conflict than ever. Deryck can share mixed feelings when Dave quit the band. Despite the surprise success of “With Me” on Gossip Girl, turnover at their label led to an album flop. Competitiveness between Deryck and Stevo mutated into hostility, resulting in his 2013 departure.
NEARLY LOSING IT ALL: Years of performing on-stage with trampolines left Deryck with herniated discs, and he self-medicated with alcohol. Then, Deryck developed a rare form of pneumonia in 2011 that nearly killed him. Nevertheless, Deryck felt invincible. Drinking his way through tours, he became increasingly belligerent and incoherent. Deryck can discuss how going to rehab too early resulted in even harder drinking, at one point spending over $2,000/week on alcohol. Rock bottom hit in 2014 when his liver and kidneys failed. He spent a month in the hospital on the brink of death.
THE COMEBACK: Unable to walk or play guitar, Deryck learned family and friends were stealing from him and reached his lowest point. Words of wisdom from Tommy Lee, Iggy Pop, and Ice T and love from his fans encouraged him to seek mental and physical therapy and stay sober. After thinking he’d never perform again, Deryck returned to the stage with three solo shows, followed by a killer award show performance with Dave back at his side in 2015.
WHERE HE IS NOW: With 15 million records sold, Sum 41’s eighth and final album Heaven :x: Hell was released in March 2024 via Rise Records. Sum 41’s most ambitious album to-date features “Landmines”, which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart and has been in the Top 10 for over 8 months. The band’s farewell tour, Tour Of The Setting Sum features stops in more countries than ever before. Deryck has two children with wife and model Ariana Cooper.
FINDING SOLACE IN MUSIC: Deryck’s music obsession was first sparked by The Monkees (his first concert) and The Beatles. His parents would blast The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Patsy Cline, and more at home. Artists like Run DMC inspired Deryck to form his first music group at age 11, with his mom paying $1 for performances. Captivated by Slash, the first song he learned on acoustic guitar was “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” (only to later realize it was written by Bob Dylan), and he played pool and poker to earn money to buy an electric guitar. Deryck can discuss realizing how writing music like his idol Kurt Cobain was his calling. After Cobain’s death, Iggy Pop (with whom he’d one day write music), The Clash, and more sparked a love of punk rock.
FROM POP PUNK TO METAL: The fun-loving tone of Deryck’s songwriting changed as he left his teen years behind. Deryck can share how “Hell Song” was inspired by his ex-lover Jessica’s HIV-diagnosis, while “Still Waiting” became a protest song for Bush’s Iraq war. Tabloid drama around Avril inspired his Grammy-nominated song “Blood in My Eyes,” as his 2014 near-death-experience did with “War.”
NEVER-BEFORE-DISCUSSED TRAUMAS & TRIUMPHS INVOLVING PROMINENT MUSIC INDUSTRY FIGURES”
You can catch Whibley on the following book tour:
10/08 Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall (moderated by Kevan Kenney)
10/09 Boston, MA – WBUR CitySpace (moderated by Amory Sivertson)
10/10 Los Angeles, CA – The Grammy Museum (moderated by Matt Pinfield)
10/11 Las Vegas, NV – Barnes & Noble (signing only)