Bob Bryar, who manned the drums for My Chemical Romance between 2004 and 2010, has died. TMZ reported Bryar’s body was found in his home in Tennessee on Nov. 27. He was last seen alive on Nov. 4.
Bryar joined the band in 2004 following the release of “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.” He was part of the band’s subsequent tours and drummed on “The Black Parade,” “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys,” and a later rarities collection, “Conventional Weapons.”
In an interview with Alt Press in 2016, Bryar admitted he was “nervous” while recording “The Black Parade.” He explained, Along with being nervous, we all had to feel out the writing dynamic between all of us. I was very vocal about my drum parts, but let the other dudes do their thing because they were doing so well and didn’t need anyone chiming in every second.”
“That leads me to remember one situation where it was super-late and only G, the engineer and myself were at the studio. There was a vocal harmony that I kept hearing. It was the first time I got the balls to ask someone to try something. That idea made it to the record, which was really nice for me to see happen,” Bryar added.
Bryar worked in the music business as a tour manager following his departure from My Chemical Romance.
In 2020, Bryar penned an obituary for Rush drummer Neil Peart. “I was taught that there were basically three categories of drummers: good drummers who had crazy chops and played jazz or jazz fusion; marching drummers; and then rock drummers. I had it drilled into my head that rock drummers just hit everything as hard as they could, then they smash the kit, piss their pants and throw up on everyone,” he wrote.
“Then I saw Rush. Holy s–t. Neil Peart was playing rock music but playing it musically. Neil wasn’t spitting on everyone and smashing everything as hard as he could, but he was still playing rock music. It was a life-changing moment for me,” Bryar continued.
Three years later Bryar posted a lengthy note on social media in which he admitted to being lonely and noted that the struggled with receiving negative messages and attention from strangers online. Bryar also revealed that he had made a plan to end his own life after a relationship ended, lost all of his pets “that were like kids,” and that several friends had died or disappeared.
“I was in a really bad spot and I really didn’t, and don’t want to die,” Bryar wrote. “I was just an angry and lost dude.”
Bryar was not scheduled to go on tour with My Chemical Romance next year.
Bob Bryar was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Dec. 31, 1979.