Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix has revealed his sobriety and faith in God has been like a "wrestling match" over the last 13 years.
The singer, whose drinking exploits once earned him the nickname Jonny Vodka, made the decision to get sober in early 2012. In a recent podcast interview, he admitted that his resolution to maintain a dry lifestyle was gradually strengthened by his Christian faith – but it was not always the case.
"I started going to meetings and going to recovery houses and stuff like that," Shaddix told Dumb Blonde podcast presenter Bunnie XO (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). "And they're, like, 'You need to find God or a God of your understanding.' And it was a journey for me for years.
"I'll tell you: the two things I never wanted to be in my life was sober and a Christian," he adds. "And here I am now — a follower, a sober guy. But it was a rocky path to find that, and a lot of failure and a lot of questioning. Turning my will over to God and following and then taking it all back and then living my way and then repeatedly finding myself just in that deep dark hole. And when I finally put the bottle down and really, it was like that foxhole prayer, where I'm just, like, 'God, do you just hear me? Can you hear me? I need a miraculous change. I need something beyond what I can do.' 'Cause I kept trying to control the change in my life. And it just — the walls fell."
The Papa Roach frontman that the stigma surrounding his faith intertwined with his day job made it more of a personal journey rather than one of public interest.
"I didn't wanna share it with people, because I felt that it wasn't edgy and it wasn't rock and roll," he says. "And I'm, like, again, I'm not here to prove that I'm edgy and rock and roll. I'd done lived it and I saw where it was taking me.
"I'm trying to like break that chain. I'm here trying to break that chain. I ain't trying to repeat. 'Cause the Shaddix family, where I'm from, my people, I come from a long line of alcoholics, cheaters, broken people, murderers, that type of lineage. So I'm, like, 'That's not who I am. That's not why I'm here. That's not me.'"
The band be touring throughout 2026. Catch them at the following dates:
Mar 29: Idea Live Arena, Petaling Jaya, MY
Mar 31: Expo Hall 7, Singapore, SG
Apr 4: RAC Arena, Perth, AU
Apr 6: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Hindmarsh, AU
Apr 8: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, AU
Apr 10: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, AU
Apr 12: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, AU
Apr 15: Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ
May 22: BottleRock Napa Valley 2026, Napa, US
Jun 3: Biggesee Open Air 2026, Olpe, DE
Jun 5: Rock Am Ring 2026, Nürburg, DE
Jun 7: Rock Im Park 2026, Nürnberg, DE
Jun 9: Budapest Park, Budapest, HU
Jun 11: Rock For People 2026, Hradec Králové, CZ
Jun 11–13: Greenfield Festival 2026, Interlaken, CH
Jun 14: Nova Rock 2026, Nickelsdorf, AT
Jun 16: Lost Generation Festival, Krakau, PL
Jun 18: Hellfest 2026, Clisson, FR
Jun 20: Hurricane Festival 2026, Scheeßel, DE
Jun 21: Southside 2026, Neuhausen Ob Eck, DE
Jun 23: Messe Dresden, Dresden, DE
Jun 25: Copenhell Festival 2026, Copenhagen, DK
Jun 27: Jera On Air 2026, Ysselsteyn, NL
Jun 28: Rock Werchter Parklife 2026, Werchter, BE
Jul 2: Zone Portuaire De Chicoutimi, Saguenay, CA
Jul 3: Festivoix 2026, Trois-Rivières, CA
Jul 17: Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival 2026, Mansfield, US
Jul 18: UPHEAVAL FESTIVAL 2026, Grand Rapids, US
Jul 25–26: Warped Tour Long Beach 2026, Long Beach, US
Jul 31: Festivent 2026, Lévis, CA
Aug 1: Les Grandes Fêtes TELUS 2026, Rimouski, CA
Sep 3–5: Rocklahoma 2026, Pryor, US
Sep 12–13: Vans Warped Tour Mexico City 2026, México, MX
Sep 19: Louder Than Life 2026, Louisville, US
Nov 1: OVO Hydro, Glasgow, UK
Nov 3: 3Arena, Dublin, IE
Nov 5: Utilita Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Nov 6: Co-Op Live, Manchester, UK
Nov 8: The O2, London, UK
Nov 9: Utilita Arena Cardiff, Cardiff, UK
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