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7 things you didn’t know about Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley

Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley discusses his biggest regrets and his potential basketball career…

7 things you didn’t know about Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley
Photo:
Jenn Five

He doesn’t sweat, sleep, do DIY or even go on holiday. So, if you want to be more like Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley, then now you know what steps to take…

1He’s so bad at switching off that he never sleeps

“I don’t sleep very well at all. Sometimes I’ll get five hours, sometimes it’s an hour, but I’ve never had, like, a 14-hour stretch or anything. It’s so hard for me to fall asleep and once I’m up there’s no going back. I think it’s the curse of being creative – my mind never stops.”

2He has never been on a holiday

“I probably should have been on one in my life by now, right? My wife and I have not even been on a honeymoon and we’ve been married since 2015. I’ve never done anything like lying around on a beach – not even as a kid. I grew up in a single parent household, so there wasn’t a lot of money around, which means I didn’t know what it was like to go away so I’ve never missed it. I’ve taken that into my adult life.”

3In another life, he may have been an architect

“From a young age I’ve always been interested in architecture. I love looking at houses all the time and at standout architecture around the world when we’re on the road. I’m big into it. I think I would like to design houses if I had the chance, because it’s still creative, right?“

4He was good enough to have played professional basketball in the NBA

“Most people are really surprised by this because of my height and the fact that I’m from Canada. In school I was the captain of my team and that was a big honour. I was honestly good enough for the NBA – ask anyone who knew me back then and they’ll say the same. But I lost all interest once [Chicago Bulls legend] Michael Jordan stopped playing. Jordan was God.”

5He doesn’t seem to sweat…

“I’ll wear the same exact clothes for, like, three weeks straight and people are like, ‘Okay, so you don’t smell, what’s the deal with that?’ We did a shoot recently and Dave [Baksh, Sum 41 guitarist] was behind me and he goes, ‘Man, you smell good.’ And I was like, ‘I know I shouldn’t’ because I’d been wearing those same clothes all day and night, even through shows. I guess I just never sweat!”

6He is rubbish at DIY

“I’m the worst at doing things around the house. I always break everything. I grew up in apartment buildings in the city with my mom, so we always had someone nearby who could fix things for us, which meant I never had to learn how to do anything like that myself. Any time I’ve tried to use a hammer or a screwdriver or something as an adult, I’ve not had the first clue what I’ve been doing. I end up hurting myself and breaking everything!”

7His biggest regret is finishing high school

“This is going to sound strange, because I know you’re supposed to say that kids should finish their studies and graduate, but sticking through the whole thing felt like a waste of time to me. I knew I didn’t need my education. I did just enough to pass every class. But I knew that the second I got out of high school it was all about music and that’s where I put all of my energies. Finishing high school felt like a waste of three years.”

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