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Members: GERARD WAY,FRANK IERO,MIKEY WAY,RAY TORO,BOB BRYAR

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE


My Chemical Romance", a band hailing from Newark, New Jersey, is not your typical rock band. They all claim to have grown up in strange households over the years, which may have influenced some typically "strange" behavior coming out of this rock group sensation.



Band Story
The band technically got started when Gerard started writing songs, calling over buddy Matt Pelissier to help out. Ray hadn't been playing guitar seriously for about three years, but went over there anyway to check things out. He went to practice in their attic and ended up being blown away by the style of music and writing Gerard had done. It was a real dark, edgy theme, still containing a slight pop element. After a couple weeks a practicing there was an obvious energy they felt playing together. The band's name comes from an Irvine Welsh novel, and was suggested by Gerard's younger brother, Mikey. The younger Way brother started playing bass with them, and soon they got Frank a couple months later to fill out the other guitar spot. He happened to be in another band that had helped them get some of their first shows. When the band broke up their first instinct was to use him. Frank was already a fan of the band and an excellent guitar player. They were all in that stage of their life where you are kind of at that crossroads where you can either go one way or another. It worked out that they could all come together and form My Chemical Romance. They were extremely lucky to find each other and are even luckier to be where they are now.

GERARD WAY

Gerard Arthur Way, born April 9, 1977 and hailing from Newark, New Jersey, is the lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance, brother to band mate Mikey Way (bass). When he lived in New Jersey, he used to stalk Christina Ricci, after finding out she lived nearby. He went to his first concert (Bruce Springsteen) with his mother, and once worked as a cart boy/bagger in a Grocery store. Gerard is 1/2 Italian (mother's side), and also 1/2 Scottish (father's side). Gerard's maternal grandmother Elena taught him how to draw, sing and perform. In the fourth grade, he starred in his school's production of Peter Pan. He started to play in bands when he was only eleven. As a child, Gerard came to the revelation that everyone he cares about will eventually die, and that he will die alone. This has led to his current obsession with the idea of death.


MIKEY WAY

Mikey Way was born Michael James Way, on September 10, 1980 in Newark, New Jersey, where he grew up. He is the younger brother of Gerard Way, (with whom he has a very close relationship, and is also Scottish/Italian, like his brother). Mikey is related to Joe Rogan, Host of the NBC game/stunt show Fear Factor and former cast member of the sitcom News Radio (Joe is Mikey's mother's cousin's son). Growing up, Way worked for Barnes & Noble, in addition to being an intern at Eyeball Records (the company that put out My Chemical Romance's debut album, I brought You My Bullets You Brought Me Your Love in 2002). The first concert he ever went to was a Smashing Pumpkins concert.



FRANK IERO

Frank Anthony Iero was born on October 31st, 1981 (making him a Scorpio), in Belleville, New Jersey (which he prefers to big cities such as New York or L.A.). Not many people know how to say his last name, which is correctly pronounced "eye-year-oh". Frank is 5'4'' and has hazel eyes with a dark drown natural hair color (now dyed black). He grew up with his mom, Linda, who divorced his dad (a great influence to him over the years). Just like fellow band mate Gerard Way, he has been playing in bands since he was eleven. Frank went to a catholic school growing up, where he learned to tie a tie. He was bullied in high school. He went to Rutgers University on a scholarship, but dropped out to join My Chemical Romance.



RAY TORO

Raymond Toro Ortiz was born July 15, 1977 in Newark, New Jersey. He was born with brown eyes, and grew up to be 6'1''. Growing up, his mother was always very protective, and in junior high to impress a girl he stuck a piece of Runts candy in his nose (like a booger), but it ended up getting stuck in his nose and he had to go to the nurse to get it taken out. He went to the same high school as Gerard & Mikey, and they were 'loose friends'. He also used to have a pet dog called Boy, growing up in a Puerto Rican and Portuguese household. His childhood neighborhood was a strange one, and Ray has said that there were drug addicts overdosing outside his house. As a child, he was not allowed to go outside much because there were bodies always being found in the park and lake near his home.




BOB BRYAR

Bob Bryar was born December 31st, 1979, in Chicago, Illinois. He is the only member of My Chemical Romance who is not from New Jersey. He attended school at Eisenhower Junior High in Darien, Illinois. Bob once played drums and symphonic in a jazz band.

Bob replaced Matt Pelissier
He replaced Matt Pelissier in 2004. There is not toco much information on Matt, and My Chemical Romance doesn't talk much about him because they "don't like to talk shit", but it seems that Matt was kicked out of the band because he kept messing up onstage, plus no one was happy playing shows together anymore.