Breaking Benjamin Singer Benjamin Burnley Talks Mystery Illness

2015-07-04

Story by Anne Erickson

Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin works through the pain

Breaking Benjamin frontman Benjamin Burnley started experiencing a strange, mysterious illness back in 2007 that caused him dizziness and joint and muscle aches. The illness forced Breaking Benjamin to cancel a portion of their 2010 tour. Now, Breaking Benjamin are back with a new album, “Dark Before Dawn,” but Burnley still lives with the illness.

“I’m still extremely sick after getting the same answers from some 300 doctors: ‘We don’t know what’s wrong with you,'” Burnley told Rolling Stone. “The last time I was in a doctor’s office, I slammed down my medical records, which are as thick as a phone book, and walked out. I’m tired of being a guinea pig. Now I push through the horrendous pain and do my thing.”

Burnley sometimes suffers during performances, but he has found a way to cope.

“The muscle and joint pain is so horrendous it distracts me from my other symptoms, so it’s relieving in a sick way,” he said. “Basically, my only relief is intense pain.”

Some of the lyrics and riffs off “Dark Before Dawn” Burnely actually wrote while visiting doctors. The album is the band’s first to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“I am pushing through all this bulls**t and the music is getting a great response,” Burnley said. “It makes me really optimistic that things can be pleasant through darkness. You can still have a great time while you’re suffering as long as you’re strong enough to endure your pain.”

Anne Erickson
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