SUM 41's DERYCK WHIBLEY Wanted To 'Tell The Whole Story' In His Upcoming Memoir

In a new interview with Lauren O'Neil of Chicago's Q101 radio station, Deryck Whibley of the iconic Grammy-nominated rock band SUM 41 spoke about his upcoming memoir, "Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven And Hell", which is due on October 8 through Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. Asked about his decision to release a book, Deryck said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The idea of writing a book had been kicking around for a while. I've been asked a few times, it's come up over the years, and I always just kind of thought, 'Why would I write a book? I don't even know what to say. My life's boring,' all those things. And I just thought, as the band was calling this the final record and final tour, it kind of made sense to just put a book out to kind of wrap this entire chapter of my life up."

Whibley went on to say that the book contains a lot of revelations about his personal life, including his high-profile relationships and friendships as well as various health issues that have plagued him over the years.

"I didn't really realize it till I started writing the book of just how much stuff there is that I've never talked about before," he said. "There's so many stories that are just wrapped up within the behind the scenes of everything, of making the records, writing the songs. It's not just a bunch of wild party stories. I mean, those are in there, but there's so much more personal stuff, which, once I got finished with the book, I was, like, 'Oh, wow. This is actually kind of personal and vulnerable.' I didn't know I was gonna go down that path. But when I started realizing, like, 'Okay, I'm writing a book. You've gotta tell the whole story.' What's the point if you're not gonna be honest about it?"

Asked what the most surprising thing was that he tapped into while he was reminiscing and going back and reliving all of these eras of his life for the book, Whibley said: "I really realized how much 'heaven' and 'hell' there is in my life, because it's such extremes. It's really the highest highs and the lowest lows, and sometimes in the same day. It's, like, because I'm the sole songwriter of SUM 41, everything that happens in my life comes out in the music, because like I can go through something really great or traumatic, and that same day, that evening start working on music. So it's all wrapped up in the same thing; it's not like they're separated. While I'm going through tough times or great times, I'm still making music in those times. So I was kind of surprised to see how it's all intertwined together."

Whibley recently announced a U.S. book tour supporting his memoir. He will be making stops in four cities across the U.S., including Jersey City, Boston, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. His first three stops on tour will include an intimate conversation with different renowned moderators about his triumphs, struggles, and accomplishments throughout his career and in his personal life. All attendees will leave with an exclusive look into the making of Deryck's memoir and a signed copy of the book.

"Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven And Hell" is Whibley's story, but it is also the untold story of SUM 41. 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. Detailing everything from winning at the MTV Video Music Awards and being nominated for a Grammy to revisiting his high-profile relationships and friendships, contending with invasive paparazzi, and suffering from health issues that brought him to the brink, Whibley offers a forthright and unforgettable memoir.

Deryck Whibley shared the below thoughts on his upcoming memoir: "Ten years ago, I found myself on the brink of death in a hospital bed. Surviving that moment, I made a promise to myself: I would fight harder than ever for this band and strive to become the best version of myself. Today, I'm proud to say that SUM 41 is experiencing the greatest success in our career, with our biggest hits on the radio and performing at the largest shows of our lives. This book is the story of that journey — through the good, the bad, and the really fucking ugly. It's about how I fought my way back, the battles I faced along the way, and how I turned those struggles into the fuel that powers everything I do now."

This year SUM 41 released its final double album, "Heaven :x: Hell", on March 29, 2024 via Rise Records. "Heaven :x: Hell" is the most ambitious album from SUM 41 yet — "Heaven" is 10 tracks of snarling high energy pop punk, while "Hell" consists of ten heavy metal anthems spiked with fret-burning solos, thrashing riffs, and fist-pumping hooks.

This highly acclaimed final album included singles such as "Dopamine", "Landmines", "Rise Up" and "Waiting On A Twist Of Fate". "Landmines" was performed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, marking the band's first #1 single since "Fat Lip" claimed the spot in 2001. The track also hit the No. 1 spot at Alternative Radio and Active Rock Radio in Canada.

For the final time as a collective, Deryck is hitting the road this September with the rest of SUM 41 for the final U.S. leg of the "Tour Of The Setting Sum". Since kicking off this world tour back in March, the band has made stops in Japan, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and more. The band will perform their largest show to date to a sold-out crowd of over 35,000 people at Paris La Défense Arena in France in November, and they will be playing their final hometown shows as a band in Toronto, Ontario, at Scotiabank Arena on January 28 and January 30, 2025.

Looking back at the band's storied 27-year career, SUM 41 has firmly cemented their place in rock history with over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations),a Kerrang! Award in 2002, multiple Alternative Press Music Awards, and countless other accolades.

Photo credit: Ari Whibley