Bill Berry’s Regrets Over Leaving R.E.M.

Bill Berry left R.E.M. in 1997, a move he says he “sort of regretted” later.

Berry and the other three founding members of R.E.M., Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, all recently spoke with CBS Mornings (ahead of their first reunion in over two decades), and when asked about having any second thoughts on leaving the band, the drummer said the following: “Of course, I did. That was a weird time for me, and I made it weird for these guys, too.”

On March 1, 1995, while performing in Switzerland, Berry collapsed on stage during R.E.M.’s show, the result of a brain aneurysm. Though Berry ultimately recovered and rejoined the band, he says the incident played a role in his enthusiasm for being in R.E.M.

“I’m not gonna use that as an excuse,” he continued. “Maybe, it reduced – maybe, that thing in Switzerland – brain aneurysm, and successful surgery – it may have lowered my energy level. I was type A, hyperactive until that, and I just didn’t have the drive I once did to do this.”

READ MORE: Underrated R.E.M.: The Most Overlooked Songs From Every LP

The last time Berry performed with R.E.M. prior to this most recent reunion was at their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2007, but as Berry described, he felt good about his decision back in 1997.

“Yes [I had to give it up], and I didn’t regret it at the time,” he explained. “I sort of regretted it a little later. That was a long time ago. That was over a quarter of a century ago.”