Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and comic book writer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the rock band My Chemical Romance. He released his debut solo album, Hesitant Alien, in 2014.
Way is the co-founder of DC Comics’ Young Animal imprint. He wrote the comic mini-series The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and the Eisner Award-winning comic book series The Umbrella Academy, the latter of which was later adapted into a Netflix series released in 2019.
Early life
Way was born in Summit, New Jersey, on April 9, 1977, the son of Donna Lee (née Rush) and Donald Way. He is of Italian and Scottish ancestry. Raised in Belleville, New Jersey, alongside brother Mikey Way, he first began singing publicly in the fourth grade, when he played the role of Peter Pan in a school musical production. His maternal grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, was a great creative influence who taught him to sing, paint, and perform from a young age; he has said that “she has taught me everything I know”. Also, while in elementary school, the glam metal band Bon Jovi was instrumental in forming his love of music.
At the age of 15, Way was held at gunpoint. As he said in an April 2008 Rolling Stone interview, “I got held up with a .357 Magnum, had a gun pointed to my head and put on the floor, execution-style.” He went on to say that “no matter how ugly the world gets or how stupid it shows me it is, I always have faith “. At age 16, he appeared on an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael to discuss the controversy surrounding the publicizing of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s crimes in comic books. Way attended Belleville High School until he graduated in 1995. Deciding to pursue a career in the comic-book industry, he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1999.
Music career
2001–2013, 2019–present: My Chemical Romance
Gerard Way in Montreal, Quebec, during the Honda Civic Tour in August 2011
As teenagers, Gerard and his brother Mikey Way, who later became the bassist of My Chemical Romance, were influenced by artists including Iron Maiden, The Misfits, Danzig, Black Flag, Queen, Pulp, Blur, Morrissey, and The Smiths. Way originally wanted to be a guitarist. His grandmother bought him his first guitar at the age of eight, and he played in short-lived bands such as Ray Gun Jones and Nancy Drew with future bandmate Ray Toro. When he was not successful (one band kicked him out due to his lack of skill with the guitar), he chose to concentrate on his art career.
Way was working as an intern for Cartoon Network in New York City during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Seeing the effects of the attacks first-hand prompted Way to change his views on life in the following weeks. 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.'” To help deal with the emotional effects the attacks had on him, Way wrote the lyrics to the song “Skylines and Turnstiles”, which became the first song by My Chemical Romance.
Way has also contributed vocally to other bands’ songs such as Every Time I Die’s “Kill the Music”, Head Automatica’s “Graduation Day”, Say Anything’s “In Defense of the Genre”, and The Oval Portrait’s “From My Cold Dead Hands” and “Barnabus Collins Has More Skeletons in His Closet Than Vincent Price”.
Way performing in 2012
In interviews, Way has stated that music and his art work were effective outlets for his longtime battles against depression, alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse. Using music to resolve personal battles has also led Way to create deeply personal songs such as “Helena,” which he wrote in memory of his late grandmother.
On March 22, 2013, My Chemical Romance announced their break up.
On October 31, 2019, My Chemical Romance announced they would be reuniting with a date in Los Angeles on December 20 and a new merchandise line. They later announced a 2020 North American tour, as well as dates in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, although all 2020 dates were eventually postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2014–2016: Hesitant Alien
Gerard Way at Webster Hall in New York City in October 2014
In May 2014, Way launched his Tumblr-based website where he announced that he had signed to Warner Bros. Records as a solo artist and was nearing completion of his first solo album. Further to this he announced a new song, “Action Cat”, released later in June as a promotional single to his new album and his first solo shows at Reading and Leeds Festivals 2014. He later announced another solo performance that took place at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms on August 20. On August 19, Way streamed a new music video for the song “No Shows”, released as the first single off the new album on August 19. The album, titled Hesitant Alien, was released on September 30, 2014.
When Way was asked why he chose to implement the Britpop genre into his music he stated that he enjoyed the energy and style of the music and its scene, and was urged to revive aspects of the genre in America.
In February and March 2015, Way performed as a solo artist with The Hormones on the main stage of the Australian 2015 Soundwave music festivals, and headlined an additional sideshow in Melbourne.
In early 2015, it was announced that he would perform at the Boston Calling Music Festival in May 2015.
On Record Store Day 2016, Way released two exclusive, unreleased tracks from Hesitant Alien titled “Don’t Try” and “Pinkish”.
2018–present: Later solo singles
On October 28, 2018, Way released his first major solo single in over two years, titled “Baby You’re a Haunted House”. The single features Way’s brother and former bandmate, Mikey Way, on bass. The official lyric video, featuring four skeleton-masked musicians performing the song, was released on YouTube on the same day.
On November 15, Way released another single, “Getting Down the Germs”, which was co-written with former bandmate Ray Toro. The single “gives a peek of where will be headed musically,” according to a statement released by Way.
On December 14, Way released a third single, “Dasher”, which features additional vocals from Lydia Night of The Regrettes. The single is a Christmas-themed story about a girl who falls in love with a reindeer as they await to be reunited after a long absence.
On January 24, 2019, Way released a cover of “Hazy Shade of Winter” by Simon & Garfunkel, once again in collaboration with Toro. The song was featured in the trailer for the Netflix television series adaptation of Way’s The Umbrella Academy, which was released the same day. On February 8, 2019, Way released a cover of “Happy Together” by The Turtles, again featuring Toro. The song also appears on The Umbrella Academy.
On July 8, 2020, Way released an original song titled “Here Comes the End,” which features singer Judith Hill and appears on the second season of The Umbrella Academy.
Gerard Way and The Hormones
As a solo artist, Way performs with a live band to provide additional instrumentation and vocals.
Note: This is the most recent touring line-up in support of Hesitant Alien.
- Gerard Way – lead vocals, percussion
- Ian Fowles – guitar, backing vocals
- Matt Gorney – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Jarrod Alexander – drums, percussion
- James Dewees – keyboards, synthesizer, piano, backing vocals
Other musical collaborations
Gerard Way performing with My Chemical Romance in Edinburgh as part of the World Contamination Tour in 2010
In 2008, Way and musical project Julien-K remixed a version of the song “Sleep When I’m Dead” by The Cure for their EP Hypnagogic States. All profits gained from the sales of the EP go to funding the International Red Cross.
In early 2009, Way and Japanese singer Kyosuke Himuro co-produced the new theme song for Advent Children Complete, the Blu-ray director’s cut of the movie sequel to the popular video game franchise, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. He is also credited with writing the lyrics, and singing alongside Himuro. The song, titled “Safe and Sound”, was released on iTunes on April 29, 2009. “Safe and Sound” is only heard on the Japanese release of the film; the English release uses Himuro’s “Calling” (the original ending theme for Advent Children) in place of it. He also contributed vocals for the vocal mix of the deadmau5 song “Professional Griefers”.
A longtime supporter of the British rock band LostAlone, Way is the executive producer of their second studio album I’m a UFO in This City (2012).
Way contributed guest vocals to “Falling in Love Will Kill You” from Wrongchilde’s debut solo album Gold Blooded, a pseudonym project from Kill Hannah frontman Mat Devine.
In 2015, Way co-wrote and contributed backing vocals to the song “Louder Than Your Love” on Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Black’s debut solo album The Shadow Side.