Bert McCracken

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Bert McCracken

Background information
Born February 25, 1982 (1982-02-25) (age 26)
Orem, Utah
Genre(s) Screamo
Alternative rock
Pop rock
Post-hardcore
Emo
Occupation(s) Singer
Songwriter
Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, Piano, Trumpet, Guitar
Label(s) Reprise Records
Associated acts The Used

Robert Edward McCracken (b. February 25, 1982), professionally known as Bert McCracken, is the lead singer of the American rock band The Used.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Robert Edward McCracken was born in Orem, Utah (U.S.) and raised in a Mormon family, living as a member of the Straight Edge community until age 15.[1] He has three sisters (Katie, Melanie, Rachel) and one younger brother (Joseph Taylor). (See liner notes for The Used and In Love and Death.) He attended Timpanogos High School in tenth grade with bandmate Quinn Allman (with whom he attended choir class), before dropping out. Before joining The Used, he played the trumpet in a local band called I'm With Stupid, starting at age 12.

The eldest son of the household, Bert enjoyed a happy home life as a child, but as he grew into a teenager his and his parents' views conflicted. As a teenager, Bert edited a straight-edge magazine, "Drugs Suck my Dick," until other straight-edgers beat him up, thus driving the drifting 15-year-old in a different direction, encouraging him to experiment with drugs, possibly as a way to rebel against his religious friends and parents.[2] He became addicted to Crystal Meth, and lost his virginity (highly discouraged by the Mormon Church before marriage), then continued his self destructive behaviour by dropping out of high school; after this he was kicked out of the house at the age of 16. For some time he was homeless until he found enough money for an apartment, moving in with girlfriend Kate.[3] After the relationship fell apart he was again living on the streets and sinking deeply into drug addiction, until he finally chose to return to his parents' home in late December of 2000.[4] In January 2001, when the band called Dumb Luck (which later became The Used, then consisting of Quinn, Jeph and Branden) were looking for a singer, Quinn remembered Bert and he was invited to try out. After being given music that the band had written without words, Bert wrote the lyrics to what would become "Maybe Memories" and returned the next day with a newly recorded version of the song. The band welcomed him immediately, and renamed themselves "Used". They were eventually discovered by John Feldmann and signed to Reprise Records; they became "The Used" when it was discovered that a Boston band had already trademarked the name "Used". On June 25, 2002 they released their self-titled debut album.

[edit] 2003-2004 and In Love and Death

Drinking and some forms of drug addiction continued to follow Bert. According to an interview, he used to drink up to two bottles of Jack Daniels daily. Constant touring and alcoholism didn't mix well and while touring for The Used's self titled album, he collapsed on May 27, 2003 in the middle of performing "On My Own." After being rushed to the hospital, getting treatment for severe chest pain, nausea and vomiting, and consulting several doctors he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, a severe inflammation of the pancreas caused by autodigestion of pancreatic tissue by its own enzymes. The condition most often stems from alcohol abuse or gallstones, forcing McCracken to abstain from alcohol for several months afterward. He has stopped doing hard drugs as of 2005.

[edit] Relationship with My Chemical Romance

While touring with My Chemical Romance, a band that Bert had admired for some time, he became close friends with frontman Gerard Way. The two bands collaborated repeatedly, McCracken even name-checking My Chemical Romance in the first track of In Love and Death, "Take It Away" with the quote "And I've lost all doubt in a chemical romance." In the beginning of 2005 they recorded a cover of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure," which was dedicated to dying friend Sarah Meyler. All proceeds were given to a charity set up for the tsunami victims of December 26, 2004.[citation needed] McCracken also provided backup vocals for My Chemical Romance on their album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, for the song "You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison." [5] It is rumored that in the spring/summer of 2005 they had a falling out, but the cause of this has never been fully determined, and both McCracken and Way have denied that it ever took place.

[edit] 2006-2007 and Lies for the Liars

In the first half of 2006 the band took a break from touring and settled down to write their new record. During this time Bert, whose naturally ginger-blonde hair he had dyed jet black since first joining The Used at age 19, dyed it back to blonde, a change that, to many fans, made him greatly resemble deceased Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. The previous year, he had moved from Orem, Utah to Los Angeles, California, a city that fascinated and disgusted him at the same time. "I met the most fake people I had ever come across on the whole planet," McCracken recalled. "They’re all just liars, and they’re so used to doing it, half the time I don’t think they even know they’re lying. Being in that environment had a direct effect on the tone of this new record, which is a little more vicious, but in a strange way, also more loving and caring." [6] Such an environment invoked many songwriting ideas for the lyricist, inspiring songs such as "Pretty Handsome Awkward" and "Liar Liar (Burn In Hell)."

At the beginning of August 2006, The Used's drummer Branden Steineckert was kicked out of the band, for reasons that to this day are not entirely clear. Whilst Quinn Allman has used the term "creative differences," Bert has hinted at more personal sources of discontent with Steineckert by describing it as a "conflict of personality" between band members other than himself (as he "loves him to death"). [7] Branden therefore did not take part in recording the drum verses for Lies for the Liars; Good Charlotte's drummer Dean Butterworth served as the band's temporary drummer for the recording, after which Dan Whitesides was hired as Steineckert's permanent replacement.

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • Is the youngest member of The Used.
  • Was the last member to join The Used before the release of their debut album.


  • Dedicated the song "All That I've Got" to his dog, David Bowie, after he was run over by a truck.
  • Dedicated the song "Hard to Say" to ex-girlfriend Kate who passed away in 2004, while 8 months pregnant with his child.
  • Suffered from insomnia as a child and through his teen years.

[edit] Discography

[edit] The Used

Main article: The Used discography

[edit] Collaborations

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kerrang!, Issue 1085 "Morat Meets Bert McCracken"
  2. ^ Blender- "I'm Out Of My Head!" http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1051
  3. ^ "The Dirty Dozen" http://www.playboy.com/sex/d12/bertmccracken
  4. ^ Blender- "I'm Out Of My Head!" http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1051
  5. ^ "My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge" http://www.decapolis.com/music_/pages/MyChemicalRomance-ThreeChe.shtml
  6. ^ trig.com - theused
  7. ^ "Backstage With Bert" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jMO8j15zfI

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Used
Members
Bert McCracken • Quinn Allman • Jeph Howard • Dan Whitesides
Studio albums
Live and compilation albums
Demos and EPs
Singles
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