Deryck Jason Whibley[2] (born 21 March 1980),[1] nicknamed Bizzy D,[3] is a Canadian musician, best known for his work as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, main songwriter, producer, founder and only constant member of the rock band Sum 41.
Besides Sum 41, Whibley developed a professional career in the music industry as producer and manager. He was part of Bunk Rock Music, a music management and production company. He produced for No Warning with the company as well. Since parting ways with Greig Nori, he sold his part of the company in early 2005.
Besides his musical career, he has worked on occasion as an actor. He portrayed the character Tony in the movie Dirty Love, and himself as a guest character in King of the Hill.
In November 2007, Whibley suffered a herniated disc while drumming on the song "Pain for Pleasure". This happened while Sum 41 was on tour with Finger Eleven, and the remainder of the Strength in Numbers Tour was canceled although Finger Eleven did travel to Winnipeg, Manitoba to play the show with Die Mannequin and Inward Eye in replacement of Sum 41.[16]
On the Operation M.D.'s second album Birds + Bee Stings, which was released on June 29, 2010, Whibley mixed one track entitled "Sick + Twisted". He also played keyboard and piano on the same track. He also joined the band live, playing guitar on this song, on December 21, 2010, at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.
He co-wrote the songs "Broken Pieces", "Over and Out" and "Lost in Reality" with 5 Seconds of Summer, which appeared on their She's Kinda Hot EP.
He was featured on "No Defeat for the Brave" by While She Sleeps in 2021.
On February 18, 2022, Whibley released a collaboration track with Simple Plan called "Ruin My Life".[17]
He released his first book, a memoir titled Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell, on October 8, 2024.[18] The book's title is a nod to the Sum 41 song "Walking Disaster", and their eighth and final studio album Heaven :x: Hell (2024).
Instruments
Whibley uses a black customized '72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe live with his well-known red X's for decoration and good luck.[19] He has also put out a signature guitar with Squier, a sub-brand of Fender. The signature Squier comes in black and Olympic white, sports the two red X's and has one humbucking pickup in the bridge position, which is a Seymour Duncan Designed HB-102. It also has his signature "Deryck" written on the headstock.[20] Whibley has used many Gibson guitars such as the Flying V, Les Paul, SG and a Gibson Marauder, which was his first guitar given to him by his mother, and has been used in some of the band's videos such as "Fat Lip" and "In Too Deep". According to the October 2007 issue of Rock Sound magazine, he also uses '59 Les Paul Reissues, '52 Telecaster Reissues, Telefunken and Neumann mics, Plexi 100 watt Marshall Heads and Cabinets and Spectraflex cables.[21] In March 2023, Whibley began selling items from his collection of instruments.[22]
Personal life
Whibley was born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, raised in Ajax, Ontario, and attended Southwood Park Public School. He grew up in a single parent household. Whibley has an interest in architecture and has said he would like to design houses if he was not a musician.[23] As a teenager, he attended Exeter High School. It was there that he and his bandmates were discovered while playing at their War of the Bands.[24] In high school, Whibley was the captain of his basketball team.[23]
Whibley married fellow singer Avril Lavigne in 2006. The couple occasionally performed together and have spoken about their relationship in interviews. Whibley and Lavigne began dating when she was 19 years old, after being friends since she was 17.[25] The wedding was held on July 15, 2006. About 110 guests attended the wedding, which was held at a private estate in Montecito, California.[26] After a little over three years of marriage Lavigne filed for divorce on October 9, 2009 and the divorce was finalised on November 16, 2010.[27]
On August 30, 2015, Whibley married model Ariana Cooper in Los Angeles.[28] Their first child was born in March 2020.[29] Their second child was born in March 2023.[30]
On October 8, 2024, Whibley released a memoir, Walking Disaster.[31] In the memoir, Whibley alleged that the former manager of Sum 41, Greig Nori, psychologically and sexually abused him for several years, and had "groomed" him.[32] According to Whibley, he met Nori at age 16, when the latter was 34. He alleged that the manager offered him drugs and accused him of homophobia when he attempted to end their relationship. Nori, who has denied the allegations, hired a defamation lawyer in response. He was fired as the band's manager in 2005, at Whibley's request. Nori is the co-lead vocalist of Treble Charger.[33][34][35]
Health issues
Whibley has chronic back pain due to a series of back injuries, starting with a slipped disc during a 2007 concert.[36]
On August 5, 2010, Whibley was hospitalized after he was attacked in a bar in Japan late at night by three unknown individuals.[37] After an MRI scan, it was revealed that Whibley herniated a disc in his back for the 14th time.[38] Although advised against performing, Whibley rejoined the band on August 8 in Osaka for the Summer Sonic Festival.[39] The back injuries, alongside severe anxiety, caused Whibley to self-medicate with alcohol.[36] Whibley again injured his back in April 2013, causing him to miss shows.[40]
On May 17, 2014, Whibley announced that, a month earlier, he had been hospitalized for alcoholism with severe liver and kidney damage.[41]
On September 15, 2023, Whibley's wife Ari announced that he was in the hospital with pneumonia and COVID-19, which led to heart failure. He responded sufficiently to treatment and was released the following day.[42]
On July 31, 2024, Sum 41 cancelled several tour dates after Whibley had again injured his back.[43]
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