Jason Derülo Was "Drinking Every Single Night" and Lost His Voice Before 2012 Accident

Singer says he "was on autopilot" before injuring his vertebrae last year

By Zach Johnson Sep 17, 2013 12:29 PMTags
Jason DeruloJoseph Cultice

Jason Derülo has reached the "Other Side" in more ways than one. Speaking to The Huffington Post U.K., the 23-year-old R&B singer opens up about how his 2012 accident forced him to reevaluate his priorities.

"I was hardcore drinking every single night," the hit maker recalls. "I was partying until crazy times in the evening then getting on the plane at 6 in the morning, walking in the airport like a zombie because I was drunk and hungover from the last nights."

In January 2012, Derülo fractured his neck while rehearsing for a series of shows; had the injury been worse, he could have been paralyzed. The musician was forced to cancel his Future History tour and wear a neck brace for seven months in order to fully recuperate.

"Before my accident I was on autopilot," he explains. "I don't really think that was the right road. I was not being smart. Being young and somebody who travels the world, you can easily get caught up and kind of lose yourself in it all. I think my injury really helped to wake me up a little bit."

Jordin Sparks' boyfriend continues, "When I was writing my second album I was drinking every single night, like hardcore. At one point I lost my voice and I couldn't record for a couple of weeks because I was drinking just coffee and alcohol."

Derülo is gearing up for the release of his third studio album. To prep for life on the road, he spent "eight hours" a day in rehearsals. "When I started dancing again, it was tough because moves that I'd been doing my whole life became the hardest moves," he tells the site. "It was like, ‘Am I going to be able to do this again?' It was a really scary moment. My equilibrium was totally off."

Glad to see he's back on his feet.