Danny O'Donoghue gave up drinking and found God after death of bandmate
The Script frontman Danny O'Donoghue has revealed he gave up alcohol and found God after the death of his bandmate Mark Sheehan in April 2023.
Danny O'Donoghue gave up drinking and found God after the death of his bandmate Mark Sheehan.
The Script frontman admitted he went on a massive drinking binge when Mark died last year after a short illness but therapy and religion helped him to cut it out.
Speaking on the 'How To Fail' podcast, he explained: "I’ve never been into hard drugs but I smoked a bit over the years, but alcohol was a big one and depression was a massive one.
"Because Mark passed away, I’ve had this epiphany, I guess. I called a therapist straight away.
"I said, ‘If I stay in Dublin much longer, this is just so bad for me’. I cut it short, went home to the UK where I have my studio and where my girlfriend lives.
"I said, ‘That’s it, I’m finished drinking, I’m finished smoking, I’m finished with any stimulant like caffeine – anything’.
"That was 27th December. I gave up everything that day."
Danny, 43, also revealed that he "went back to church".
He said: "On top of that, I bit the bullet and I went back to church. When you’re a teenager and in your twenties, it’s sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll, and that’s the last thing you’re thinking of. I know that I’m smart enough to know that I’m dumb enough to know that I’ll never know."
Meanwhile, Danny previously revealed that music has helped him to heal following Mark's death.
He told Virgin Media One's 'Six O'Clock Show': "I had writers block, a mental block because I could not articulate what was going on because everything comes into question, not just should we carry on as a band, but is there a God? Why? There is no answers to these questions.
"I was trying to contemplate on the lyrics and the only thing I could write about Mark was 'like a shooting star across the sky, in a second you were gone, but why do stars that light up twice as bright, only burn for half as long.' It was the first time I got that thorn out of my side, what I wanted to articulate about the guy. Its always the great ones that go too soon - partly explains why I am still here.
"From there the floodgates opened for me creatively and musically... Music to me is healing and it is an incredible gift to have to go to in your darkest moments."
