EXCLUSIVE ‘I’m still paying the price for it’: Shannon Noll says his personal life and singing career has taken a hit following legal woes and drug issues
As Shannon Noll, 44, releases his new single Long Live The Summer, the singer claims he’s still plagued by his past sins.
Despite a mostly-positive year in 2019 with regular gigs and the birth of his fourth child, Shannon told Daily Mail Australia it hasn’t been easy to escape his past.
With a well-documented history of legal woes and a connection to drug use, he said: ‘I’m still paying the price for it career wise and financially.’
‘I’m still paying the price for it’: Shannon Noll said he is still suffering from past controversies as he releases his new single Long Live The Summer
In October 2018, Shannon avoided conviction when he was caught with 0.53 grams of cocaine and was handed a one-year good behaviour bond.
This incident came after he was arrested for assaulting a bouncer at a nightclub the previous year in 2017, before the charges were later dropped.
Shannon told the Daily Mail Australia that his family saved him from plunging into depression as the fallout soon became ugly, both personally and professionally.
‘Even a couple of weeks ago a deal was on the table and someone got send a video [of Shannon] and they knocked it on the head, so that cost me a big chunk of money for a bit of work.’
‘I don’t know what would have happened’: Shannon said the impact on his family put him in a dark place, but he was able to get past it with their help
The impact it had on his young family and his heavily-pregnant wife at the time, Rochelle Ogston, did not go unnoticed and left Shannon riddled with guilt.
‘There was nothing I could think of but that for a long time, it’s been a hard struggle getting past it mentally,’ he admitted.
‘Lucky for my family, without them I don’t know where I would have been or what could have happened in all honesty.
Not a good look: In October 2018 Shannon escaped conviction when he was caught with 0.53 grams of cocaine and was handed a one-year good behaviour bond
‘Thank goodness they were right behind me and kept propping me up – I can’t thank them enough,’ he said.
The What About Me singer said he did not have any issues with drug addiction at the time, but added he had struggled with alcohol in the past.
‘At that stage it wasn’t a case of I needed help or anything like that, it was just unfortunate timing and bad choices and it was totally, 100 per cent my fault,’ he said.
We’re here for you! Shannon said it was the support of his wife Rochelle (pictured) and the rest of his family that got him through tough times
‘This last year I’ve quit smoking. I only have a couple here and there now, which is a lot better than a packet a day like it used to be.’
Shannon said he has ‘taken it on the chin’ and is doing his best to put his past troubles behind him.
He is now touring every week with his new single Long Live The Summer and has big plans for the next year.
The singer will also live out a long-held dream of performing at the Big Red Bash in outback Queensland along with the Summernats car festival in Canberra and said there is only more to come from him.
Back on track: The 44-year-old is now touring ever week and will perform at the Big Red Bash and the Summernats next year
