Former Sum 41 Guitar Tech Details Hard Partying That Nearly Killed Frontman Deryck Whibley
As we reported earlier this week, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley recently went through a terrifying ordeal where the pop-punk musician nearly died from years of alcohol abuse. Whibley's liver and kidneys collapsed from the abuse, causing the frontman to spend a month in the hospital. Adding more details to the situation, Sum 41's former guitar tech wrote a lengthy blog post on Whibley's downward spiral and the hard partying the tech not only witnessed, but also took part in.
In a post on Whibley's personal website, the frontman wrote about the night his body finally gave out. "I was sitting at home, poured myself another drink around mid night and was about to watch a movie when all of a sudden I didn’t feel so good," Whibley begins. "I then collapsed to the ground unconscious. my fiancé got me rushed to the hospital where they put me into the intensive care unit. I was stuck with needles and i.v.’s all over. I was completely sedated the FIRST WEEK. When i finally woke up the next day I had no idea where I was. My mum and step dad were standing over me. I was so freaked out. my liver and kidney’s collapsed on me."
As revealing as Whibley's post was, the viewpoint of Brian Keith Diaz shed further light on the lifestyle of the Sum 41 frontman. "It wasn’t uncommon to go weeks at a time drinking until we blacked out without a break," writes Diaz. "The first Europe trip was a blur of Jack Daniel’s and vodka, sh-tty European cocaine, and non-stop partying."
Diaz continues, "He tried going sober at the beginning of a Japanese tour and passed out on stage in Sapporo (in Japan) several songs into the set. An Australian tour was cut short when he contracted pneumonia, no doubt exacerbated by his excessive drinking. Even a day or two after being in a hospital in Sydney, he was at the airport sipping wine at 9am as if nothing had happened. This was the first time I was really upset and concerned for my friend's health. Before that I was along for the ride and part of the circus."
Diaz concludes his post by detailing a surprise phone call from Deryck. "Two days before Deryck went public with the horrifying story of what happened to him he called me out of the blue," says Diaz. "I hadn't heard from him in a year, and the last time I had seen him in person he said he was cutting back on his drinking... I was in horrible shock hearing what had just happened to him... I got off the phone and cried. I was imagining my friend Deryck completely hitting rock bottom alone and it scared the s--- out of me."
As for Whibley's current condition, the Sum 41 leader looked extremely frail and sickly while walking around Los Angeles. TMZ posted a photo of Whibley, which is unsettling to say the least.
We'd like to wish Deryck Whibley a speedy recovery and healthy future. Stay tuned for more updates as news breaks.