My Chemical Romance has broken its silence over the death of former drummer Bob Bryar.
“The band asks for your patience and understanding as they process the news of Bob’s passing,” a spokesperson for the rock group said in a Sunday, December 1, statement confirming Bryar’s death, per the BBC and Variety.
TMZ reported on Saturday, November 30, that Bryar was found dead in his home in Tennessee days before on Tuesday, November 26. He was 44.
According to the outlet, Bryar was last seen on November 4, and his cause of death is unclear. No foul play was suspected, per TMZ.
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Bryar joined My Chemical Romance in 2004, replacing original drummer Matt Pelissier. He remained with the group — alongside bandmates Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Mikey Way and Frank Iero — through 2010. It was during Bryar’s tenure with the band that My Chemical Romance released their most popular album, 2006’s The Black Parade.
Bryar left the group in 2010, before the release of their fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, though he received some songwriting credits on the record.
“As of 4 weeks ago, My Chemical Romance and Bob Bryar parted ways,” rhythm guitarist Frank Iero said in a statement posted via the band’s website in March 2010. “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 endeavors and expect you all to do the same.”
In the years following his departure from MCR, Bryar worked on other music projects before reportedly transitioning into a real estate career.
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Speaking to the Alternative Press in 2016, Bryar shared details from his early days being part of My Chemical Romance and knowing the band was “special” from the get-go.
“I left a very good touring gig where I was tour managing and doing sound. I left that job to join a band that was filthy, had s—-y gear, a smashed-up, smoking, death-trap van and was poor. They smelled bad, too. I was so happy to receive the offer,” he told the outlet. “Long before we recorded ‘Welcome to the Black Parade,’ I knew that [MCR] were special and I wanted in. I wanted to help evolve the band and be able to shred with them every night.”
