Madness Frontman Suggs Quits Drinking After Battling Alcoholism

Madness Frontman Suggs Opens Up About Quitting Alcohol After Decades-Long Struggle

“There was a procession past my house with a giant beer bottle in a hearse” – Suggs jokes about the shock of his sobriety among friends and neighbors. Suggs, the unmistakable frontman of legendary British band Madness, has revealed he’s recently given up drinking after grappling with alcoholism for years.

The 64-year-old singer—real name Graham McPherson—spoke candidly on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Headliners show with Nihal Arthanayake, admitting that after more than four decades of drinking, the time had come to stop “I’ve been a bit sort of jocular about it, but no, it did get a bit serious,” he said. “I mean, it was alcoholism. There’s no way around admitting that to yourself. I was a drunk. A good drinker, a bad drinker.”

Suggs revealed he’s been sober for a couple of months now, and joked that the news sent “shockwaves” through his North London neighborhood “There was actually a day of mourning at all the off-licenses and local pubs,” he quipped. “They had a procession dressed in black, a big beer bottle in a hearse with RIP written on it, and it went past my house. It was very sad.”

Despite the humor, Suggs spoke with seriousness about the toll drinking had taken on his life—particularly his mental health and relationships.

“When you’re drinking too much, it just becomes your sole raison d’être,” he said. “You stop being interested in anything else—your family, your work—except sitting there getting drunk.” He added: “If you don’t stop drinking, you’ll never find out what’s really going on in your conscious or subconscious.” Suggs described how he eventually sought help from an addiction therapist, who gave him a blunt assessment: “You’ve got to stop.”

A New Chapter in a Storied Career

As the charismatic voice behind Madness—formed in Camden Town in 1976—Suggs has been at the heart of one of the UK’s most beloved bands for nearly 50 years. Madness helped define the British ska revival of the late ’70s and early ’80s with infectious hits like Our House, Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, and One Step Beyond.

With 17 Top 10 hits and an enduring presence on the festival circuit, Madness became not just a band but a cultural institution. They’ve weathered breakups, reunions, and the changing tides of the music industry, and in 2023, they proved their relevance once again with Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie, their 11th Top 10 album.

Through it all, Suggs remained the group’s beating heart—equal parts showman, poet, and raconteur. But behind the scenes, he admits, alcohol had become too central. “It’s just that thin line between drinking socially and drinking destructively,” he said. “I was crossing that line.”

Age and Wisdom

Now 64, Suggs says age played a role in his decision to stop drinking. “The hangovers were…like two days wiped out of your life,” he explained. “Your body just can’t take it anymore.” And he’s not alone. “Most of the boys know, and in fact a couple of the others packed up a little while ago,” he said of his Madness bandmates. “I could name loads of people my age in this business who’ve all quit around 60. I’m lucky to tell the tale, really.”

Looking Ahead – A Sober Tour

Suggs is about to embark on his first sober tour with Madness, beginning May 14 in Sacramento, California. The band will spend the summer playing shows and festivals across Europe and the UK. “This will be the first tour [sober], so that’s kind of intriguing,” he said. “It’s funny—it feels like a new beginning, without wanting to get too righteous about it.”

The Origins of ‘Suggs’

For fans curious about his iconic nickname, Suggs was born Graham McPherson in Hastings, Sussex, on January 13, 1961. He adopted the moniker in his youth, inspired by an obscure jazz musician named Pete Suggs he discovered in his mother’s encyclopedia. It was part of a reinvention during his school years—and the name stuck for life.