As the compelling, pale-faced frontman of dynamic rock outfit My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way is one of a few key musicians responsible for bringing emo and punk music into the mainstream eye at the turn of the millennium -- and successfully sparking a million conversations about what is and is not considered punk in the process. He was born on April 9, 1977, in Newark, NJ, and raised in nearby Belleville. His grandmother Elena was a huge source of inspiration and encouragement to him growing up, teaching the young Way how to sing, draw, and perform. Way's first public performance was as Peter Pan in an elementary school play, but just as that show was over, he made a conscious decision to immerse himself in art and comics (preferring things "slightly evil") rather than anything dealing with drama club. Since his neighborhood wasn't exactly the safest place, Way spent a lot of time indoors with his younger brother Mikey, creating imaginary worlds to which they could escape. Despite his passion for drawing, Way never lost his love of music and taught himself how to play guitar as a teenager. He was a withdrawn kid -- in contrast to his outgoing, life-of-the-party brother -- and Way spent a lot of time by himself sketching and listening to bands like Iron Maiden, the Smiths, the Cure, the Misfits, and Queen.
Best known as the bassist for New Jersey alternative emo-rockers My Chemical Romance -- and, of course, lead singer Gerard Way's little brother -- Mikey Way was born on September 10, 1980, in Newark, NJ. He was raised in nearby Belleville, where he and his brother spent a lot of time in the house together creating fantasy worlds, since their mother preferred them not going outside into their crime-ridden neighborhood. Much more outgoing than his older brother, Way was involved in the local music scene, interning for a time at fledgling indie Eyeball Records. When Gerard approached him following the September 11th attacks in 2001 about joining a band he'd just started, Way jumped at the chance, even suggesting the name My Chemical Romance (taking it from a line in a book by -Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh). Eye surgery found him shedding his trademark black-rimmed glasses around the time of the 2006 release of the band's third album, the wildly popular The Black Parade. Way then married in March 2007 and took a subsequent hiatus from My Chemical Romance to spend time with his new wife while the band continued touring. Corey Apar, All Music Guide
Born in Chicago on December 31, 1979, drummer Bob Bryar is the only member of emo/alternative rockers My Chemical Romance not originally from New Jersey. He picked up the drums at a young age and grew up playing in his school's marching and jazz bands. After graduation, Bryar studied for a degree in sound engineering at a school in Florida prior to becoming the resident soundman back at his hometown's House of Blues. By 2000, he was on the road with bands instead, acting as the touring sound guy for groups like the Used and Thrice. It was through this job that Bryar hooked up with My Chemical Romance in the first place, meeting them while working for the Used on a tour the two bands did together. In mid-2004, problems with My Chemical Romance's original drummer, Matt Pelissier, came to a head, and just as he was kicked out of the band, they asked Bryar (without ever hearing him play) to be their new drummer. Within a week, Bryar had quit his then job on the Projekt Revolution tour and was playing shows with the New Jersey crew in support of their newest album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. He concurrently relearned how to play drums (he hadn't played in years since becoming a soundman full-time) as he quickly learned My Chemical Romance's repertoire to tour. Bryar appeared in the band's video for "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" before he was even technically a permanent member. Corey Apar, All Music Guide
Matt Pelissier was the original drummer for New Jersey's My Chemical Romance, co-founding the band with his high school buddy Gerard Way and guitarist Ray Toro in 2001. The band reportedly grew dissatisfied with his drumming following the recording of their second album, 2004's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, and replaced him mid-year behind the drum kit with Chicago native Bob Bryar. Corey Apar, All Music Guide
My Chemical Romance rhythm guitarist Frank Iero was born on Halloween 1981 and grew up in Belleville, NJ, close to his future bandmates Ray Toro and Gerard and Mikey Way. He didn't go to school with them, however, attending a local Catholic school instead, and as a sickly kid, he suffered from constant bouts of bronchitis and ear infections, ultimately developing the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), whose mono-like symptoms afflicted him into adulthood. Iero's parents split when he was young and he grew up living with his mother, who nicely lent out her basement to her son's many band practices; his father was a musician and a big influence on young Iero wanting to learn an instrument. He first tried drums, later picked up the guitar instead, and began playing in bands at age 11. Somewhat a loner in high school, the budding musician soon discovered Nirvana and punk music -- falling in love with bands like Black Flag and the Bouncing Souls -- and eventually started a punk band with friends called Pencey Prep, acting as the group's lead singer and guitarist. (My Chemical Romance's first gig was opening for Pencey Prep at a local hall.) Following high school, he enrolled at Rutgers University on a scholarship, but when My Chemical Romance came looking for a second guitarist to round out their sound right as Pencey Prep was falling apart, Iero jumped at the chance. My Chemical Romance was one of the most exciting bands on the local scene, and he dropped out of school to join them; his punk influences wound up nicely balancing out other guitarist Ray Toro's metal-leaning instincts. On the side from My Chemical Romance, Iero runs his own company called Skeleton Crew, which is a clothing line, record label, and publishing company wrapped into one; his side band Leathermouth is also rumored to be releasing their debut in 2007. Corey Apar, All Music Guide
Guitarist Raymond Toro-Ortiz -- known to My Chemical Romance fans as Ray Toro -- was born on July 15, 1977, in Kearny, NJ, and attended the same high school in Belleville as his future bandmates Gerard and Mikey Way. Sharing a bedroom with his two brothers, Toro was inspired to pick up the guitar after watching one of his older brothers play along to classic rock artists like Led Zeppelin. Because his neighborhood was not a safe place (dead bodies and drug addicts were constants of the area), his mother preferred him not going outside alone, so Toro instead passed his high school years inside practicing guitar and listening to metal and classic rock. Toro had a passion for film as well and later attended college to become an editor. After the September 11th attacks, however, he was approached by his old high school acquaintance Gerard Way about starting a band with him and drummer Matt Pelissier. Though he initially refused -- he had recently started drumming with a different band -- Toro was eventually convinced, and the three became the nucleus of My Chemical Romance. After adding second guitarist Frank Iero into the fray, Toro became the group's lead guitarist. He eventually became known not only as the one responsible for most of the band's guitar solos, but also as the one with the nice afro-like hair. Corey Apar, All Music Guide
With their emo-punk songcraft, theatrical vocals, and stylized neo-goth appearance, My Chemical Romance rose from the East Coast underground to the forefront of modern rock talent during the mid-2000s. In keeping with the tragic element of the group's best-known singles -- including "Helena,", "I'm Not OK (I Promise)," "Famous Last Words," and "Welcome to the Black Parade" -- My Chemical Romance has roots in catastrophe, as frontman Gerard Way decided to form the band after watching New York's Twin Towers collapse on September 11th, 2001. Drummer Matt Pelissier joined the project one week later, while Way dealt with his growing anxiety by penning the group's first song,"Skylines and Turnstiles". Guitarist Ray Toro climbed aboard soon after, and the quintet's ranks solidified with the addition of bassist Mikey Way (Gerard's younger brother) and guitarist Frank Iero. With their lineup in place, the bandmates began playing shows along the Northeast Corridor and made plans to start work on an album.

My Chemical Romance's debut effort, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, appeared in 2002 courtesy of New York's Eyeball Records. Comparisons to Thursday were frequent; both bands hailed from New Jersey, both had recorded for Eyeball, and both combined punk-pop's musical aggression with introspective, confessional lyrics. The album attracted a modest underground following, and My Chemical Romance jumped to the big leagues in 2003 by signing with Reprise Records. The following year, they released the aggressively slick Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, a platinum-selling album that featured cover art by Way himself. Proving to be hugely popular, the album produced several radio singles and popular MTV videos, including "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," "Helena," and "The Ghost of You."

Amid this growing popularity, Pelissier departed in mid-2004 and was replaced by drummer Bob Bryar, who had previously met the band while running sound for the Used (with whom the band had toured several years prior). Relentless touring followed, with My Chemical Romance headlining dates with Alkaline Trio, scoring an opening slot on Green Day's American Idiot tour, and sharing bills with Story of the Year and Taking Back Sunday. As My Chemical Romance prepared to enter the studio for their third album, they issued a stop-gap recording, Life on the Murder Scene, in March 2006. The CD/double-DVD package offered an extensive combination of demos, music videos, live footage, interviews, and more; it sufficiently tied fans over until My Chemical Romance (now boasting a sober and bleach-haired Gerard Way) issued the darkly conceptual and highly ambitious The Black Parade that October. Anticipation for the album reached its apex upon the release of its grandiose first single, "Welcome to the Black Parade," whose elaborate music video looked and sounded like the result of Tim Burton directing Queen. The record acheived platinum status by early 2007 and was followed by a live recording, Black Parade Is Dead!, in 2008. Andrew Leahey & Alex Henderson, All Music Guide