Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley is not joining Linkin Park.
The vocalist addressed the rumours that he’d be replacing Chester Bennington in the seemingly reuniting nu metal stars in a social media statement today (August 27).
“I feel the need to dispel some current rumors,” Whibley writes.
“It’s been brought to my attention that many people think I could be joining a reuniting band. But I just want to say, despite popular belief, I am not joining Oasis… or Linkin Park. Or any other band for that matter.
“I have my own ‘tour and book’ announcement that I will now move to the end of the week, ahead of our US tour.
“I do look forward to seeing whatever both these amazing bands do in the future.”
Speculation that Whibley would front a reactivated Linkin Park fired up yesterday (August 26), when the Sum 41 X (formerly Twitter) account teased that the singer would be making some kind of announcement on Wednesday, August 28.
The post was made during a countdown on Linkin Park’s social media channels, set to expire on the same day as Whibley’s mysterious announcement. It’s now clear that Whibley’s announcement, now postponed, is to do with his upcoming memoir Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven And Hell, out on October 8 via Gallery Books, and the US book tour he’s hosting following its release.
Linkin Park’s post was made on Saturday, August 24, and is counting down from 100 hours to zero. The post was shared by US festival Welcome To Rockville, igniting hopes that the band will be back for the 2025 festival circuit. Linkin Park have only played live once since Bennington took his own life in July 2017, aged 41, with that show being a tribute gig the following October. Whibley sang The Catalyst at that concert.
Rumours of a Linkin Park comeback began in April, when Jay Gordon of industrial rockers Orgy, who previously collaborated with the band, said they were reactivating. He later retracted his comments. A report by Billboard the following month echoed Gordon’s claims. Both Gordon and one Billboard source also said that the singer who’d replace Bennington is female.
Sum 41 are currently in the middle of a farewell tour and will play across the US in September. See all of the band’s dates now via their website.
pic.twitter.com/CubWKY1Y5JAugust 27, 2024
