This candid memoir of music, fame, and endurance from Deryck Whibley, lead singer of Sum 41, follows his rise 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. Whibley was raised by a single mom and their small family constantly moved from place to place, so he was used to being the new kid, starting fights (or finishing them), and connecting with people who shared his sensibility for chaotic fun and loud music. 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.

Walking Disaster 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 is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer who plays rhythm guitar and keyboards. He is the founder and primary songwriter of the band Sum 41.

Deryck Whibley's profile page

“Deryck Whibley is one of those gifted songwriters and performers who has the rare ability to straddle multiple rock genres successfully. Punk, Pop Punk, Rock and Metal. I’ve watched him smoke bands live that are supposed to be much heavier, and impress the legends whose songs he has covered. Deryck’s story is one of true triumphs and challenges. He has been to Hell and back, and returned shining and stronger than ever. He has so much heart. The struggle is real. The comeback is bigger than the setback.”
—Matt Pinfield

“Sum 41’s frontman is holding nothing back.”
—Rylee Johnston, Billboard

“It’s really hard not to root for Deryck Whibley’s eventual happiness in this raw and emotional memoir that is filled with more twists and turns than a Hollywood blockbuster.”
—Adam Grundy, Chorus.FM

“True to its title, Whibley’s book barrels in like a tornado of extreme highs and lows … Whibley has talked about these challenges in interviews before, but there are key details about his life he’d shared only with a few people, revelations that he poured into the book.”
—Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times

“[Walking Disaster is] a gripping book filled with passion, and every page is more interesting, shocking, and inspiring than the last.”
—Valentino Petrarca, The Aquarian

“Whibley’s memoir isn’t all darkness. It is full of teenage exploits and cheeky anecdotes about bandmates, romantic partners, and collaborating with musical heroes.”
—Anne Branigin, The Washington Post

“When Deryck brought Paris Hilton over to my house party after we played the Warped Tour together, we all did a bunch of coke while she showed everyone photos of herself. Deryck took me aside and said, ‘At least wait till we break up before you make fun of her.’ That’s not in the book . . . but it’s on the cover now! Ha!”
—Fat Mike

“We broke some shit, he pissed in the room. It’s fuzzy…there coulda been all kinds of other shit that went down. God knows.”
—Tommy Lee