Paul Weller, the 63-year-old musician from Woking, Surrey, has opened up about his decades-long battle with alcohol addiction, admitting he is surprised he 'didn't die or disappear' after his early success. In a recent interview with the Irish Times, the former frontman of The Jam and The Style Council reflected on his lifestyle changes that have transformed his health.
Weller, who began his career singing covers at men's clubs and bars at age 14, struggled with alcohol for over 40 years. He told the Irish Times: 'I would never, ever have expected to be making music into my 60s – it would have been unthinkable to me – but then I also would never have imagined that I'd reach the age of 63. As luck would have it, I didn't die or disappear after having had a few hit songs.'
The singer credited giving up alcohol and drugs, along with adopting a gym routine, for his turnaround. He said: 'All of those changes make a massive difference to my health and my life. My energy levels are excellent. I still lead a very busy lifestyle and I'm certainly not wiped out by it all.' He added that he 'wouldn't like to think what my health – physically, mentally, spiritually – would have been like if I hadn't stopped the drink and the drugs.'
Weller quit drinking in 2010 after a row with his partner, though he did not attend Alcoholics Anonymous. He noted that musicians are particularly prone to alcohol abuse due to the culture of celebrating or commiserating. 'The hardest bit was going onstage without a drink, because I was so self-conscious. But I'm over that now,' he told The Guardian in May. 'I like being present; I like being able to see and hear what's going on.'
The health risks of excessive drinking are well-documented. A 2018 study in The Lancet found that consuming 10 to 15 alcoholic drinks a week may shorten life by one to two years, while more than 18 drinks could shorten it by five years. Alcohol is linked to conditions such as stroke, heart failure, and fatal aneurysms. The NHS advises moderation for those regularly drinking more than 14 units a week and strongly recommends stopping for those with severe alcohol issues or liver damage.
