Taiwanese singer Tank: I lost nine years of my life to alcoholism

Taiwanese singer Tank’s single, ‘Personal Angel’ was a huge hit in 2007, with the song playing in almost every radio station. However, he soon disappeared from the spotlight, and only returned in 2017, making a musical comeback under his real name, Lu Jianzhong.

In a recent interview, the 36-year-old shed light on the reason behind his disappearance from the spotlight. He revealed that he wasted almost nine years of his life being under the influence of alcohol and drinking excessively, with the main catalyst being the death of his then-24-year-old sister.

“I only have one older sister and the loss of someone so important to me caused me to lose myself,” he said. The addition of the stress from his work and personal life caused him to fall into a slump, and he could only rely on alcohol to numb his pain.

His reliance on alcohol got to a point where he almost lost his life on multiple occasions, as he has a hereditary heart disease that does not allow him to consume alcohol. Once, due to the copious amounts of alcohol in his blood, the device used to help his heart disease malfunctioned. On another occasion, he was involved in a drink-driving accident, where he crashed into a motorbike. It was only when he vomited out blackened blood three days later that he realised the severity of his injuries from said accident. He was then rushed straight to the hospital for treatment.

Recalling the incidents, Tank said, “At that time I felt that my life was devoid of hope, and knew that I was on the brink of death. The doctor even had me sign a document, acknowledging that the hospital would have no fault if I were to pass on in their hospital.”.

After that, he made up his mind to go cold turkey, and abstain from alcohol. After a number of failed attempts, he managed to succeed, with the help of a newfound belief in religion, as well as music and regular exercise.

When asked what he’d do if there ever arose a situation like a work event or banquet where he’d have to drink, he answered, “Those who know me all understand that I can’t drink due to my heart disease. The producers will not go out of their way to make me drink as well.”.

Additionally, he let on that he divorce his wife in 2014, with the custody of their daughter going to his former spouse. He shared in the interview that his ex-wife had seen the changes in him, and that both parties had agreed after discussion to allow him custody of his daughter. Tank also shared that he’s currently learning how to balance his work and family life, to become a better father that will not disappoint his daughter.

When asked about his relationship status, Tank shared that he’s currently single and that he has no plans to remarry.

Photos: PBE Media