| Gerard Way  AKA Gerard Arthur Way
Born: 9-Apr-1977
Birthplace: Newark, NJ
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Musician Nationality: United States
Executive summary: My Chemical Romance Hatched and reared amidst the soot-dappled streets of Newark and Belleville, Gerard Way kept musically active during his teens by performing in local bands with some of his school friends. After completing high school he took an animation job in New York City, but still hankered for a career with a higher public profile, and one that would allow him to wear excessive amounts of mascara. Eventually he contacted drummer Matt Pelissier, a former bandmate who had been experiencing similar urges, and the pair convened to resurrect their musical activities together and create some new songs. Guitarist Ray Toro was enlisted shortly afterwards. The line-up for what would become My Chemical Romance was ultimately rounded out by Way's younger brother Mikey (who had pinched the band's name from the drug-oriented writings of Irvine Welsh), and extensive gigging was undertaken around the New York area.
After a couple years of ingratiating themselves into the pop-punk-with-makeup scene that was becoming increasingly popular in the early 00s, My Chemical Romance signed to the New York-based independent label Eyeball Records and set about recording their unfortunately-titled debut I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002. It was at this time that second guitarist Frank Iero was brought on board to add "orchestrational color". Produced by Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly, the album received a fair amount of attention, and the band immediately got to work supporting the release with an extensive schedule of national touring. Enough industry credibility had been earned by the start of 2004 that Way and his cohorts were in a position to sell themselves to a major label (Reprise) and enlist a high-profile producer (Howard Benson) for their second effort Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004); this album featured their first "hit song" in the form of the single I'm Not Okay (I Promise).
In 2004 the band dispensed with founding member Pelissier, and replaced him with former drum tech Bob Bryar. A CD + DVD set, Life on the Murder Scene was issued in 2006. Father: Donald Way
Mother: Donna
Brother: Mikey Way (bassist, My Chemical Romance)
Girlfriend: Eliza Cuts (hairdresser, broken engagement)
Wife: Lyn Z (bassist, m. 4-Sep-2007, per San Francisco Chronicle, one daughter)
Daughter: Bandit Lee Way (b. 27-May-2009)
University: School of Visual Arts, New York City
My Chemical Romance Lead Singer (2001-)
Scottish Ancestry Paternal side
Italian Ancestry Maternal side
Risk Factors: Smoking, Alcoholism, Depression
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