My Chemical Romance pay tribute to Bob Bryar and his “important” role in band’s history
My Chemical Romance have shared a tribute to their former bandmate Bob Bryar, who was found dead in his home last week aged 44.
Per TMZ, the drummer was discovered in his Tennessee home on November 26, after last being seen alive on November 4. The cause of death is not immediately known, but authorities have ruled out foul play, with his possessions, including musical equipment and weapons, untouched.
Bryar was My Chemical Romance’s longest-tenured drummer, performing with the band from 2004 until his departure in 2010. Surviving members have today (December 2) shared a tribute to him on Instagram, alongside an image of him playing on stage.
“It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Bob Bryar, our former bandmate and an important part of the history of My Chemical Romance,” they wrote. “We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family at this time. May he rest in peace.”
Bryar struck up a friendship with My Chemical Romance during their tour with The Used in 2004, and soon after became their drummer for their tour that year in Japan – replacing previous drummer Matt Pelissier.
Though his involvement with the band came after the release of their second album ‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge’, he appeared in all the music videos and promotional material for it.
His contributions can be heard on My Chemical Romance’s seminal 2006 album ‘The Black Parade’, the band’s most commercially and critically successful record. It debuted at number two in the United States on the Billboard 200, as well as on the UK Albums Chart.
Upon its release, NME likened the album to Green Day‘s ‘American Idiot’, writing that “it’s a piece of work that will challenge every preconception you ever had about the people who made it.” It was also featured as number 10 in NME‘s 50 Best Albums of 2006.
Bryar was involved in the writing process for the band’s follow-up record, 2010’s ‘Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys‘, but left the band shortly before the album’s release.
In a statement at the time, guitarist Frank Iero wrote on the band’s blog: “As of four weeks ago, My Chemical Romance and Bob Bryar parted ways. This was a painful decision for all of us to make and was not taken lightly. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours, and expect you all to do the same.”
In the subsequent years, Bryar continued to play drums, before announcing his retirement from music in 2014 to become a real estate agent.
He was an active supporter of various dog rescue charities. In 2022 he announced he would be selling his original ‘Black Parade’ uniform and using money from the sale to help “abandoned and sheltered animals in areas of Florida and South Carolina that are affected by Hurricane Ian”.
Prior to that, he sold a drum kit – used during some of My Chemical Romance’s most formative moments – to raise funds for the Williamson County Animal Control and Adoption Center in Tennessee.
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Poppy Burton
NME
