Gerard Way

Gerard Way

Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American musician who serves as the frontman, lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance. He is the elder brother of the band's bass player, Mikey Way.

Background

Way was born in Summit, New Jersey to Donald and Donna Lee Way; he is of Scottish and Italian descent. He first began singing in fourth grade, when he played the part of Peter Pan in a school production of the play. His maternal grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, taught him to sing, paint, and perform and has referred to her in interviews saying 'she has taught me everything I know'.

After graduating from Belleville High School in 1995, he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1999. Gerard aspired to be a comic book artist and claimed his favorite comic-book team was the Doom Patrol. His first job in the industry was an internship as a photocopier for DC Comics. In 2001, Way says he tried to sell an animated television series to Cartoon Network.

The Umbrella Academy

by Dark Horse ComicsIn a recent interview with Kerrang! magazine, Gerard Way revealed he would be working on a comic book series called The Umbrella Academy. Gerard Way writes the storyline and Gabriel Ba does the artwork on the upcoming comic book. Artist James Jean does the cover artwork on The Umbrella Academy. In the interview, he stated he had a love for comic books and superheroes. The release date is September 19, 2007.

Music and My Chemical Romance

In 2001, Way was working in the comic industry in New York when the September 11 attacks occurred. This event changed Way dramatically; he told Spin magazine, "I literally said to myself, 'Fuck art. I’ve gotta get out of the basement. I’ve gotta see the world. I’ve gotta make a difference!'" Soon after, he formed the band My Chemical Romance. The band's first song "Skylines and Turnstiles" was inspired by Way's experience on 9/11.

Music turned out to be an effective means for Way to deal with his long-time battle against depression, alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse, leading to the creation of deeply personal songs such as "Helena", written after the death of his grandmother.

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