Former My Chemical Romance drummer Bob Bryar was found dead at his home in Tennessee, at age 44, just two days before Thanksgiving.
At this time, his cause of death has not been made public and it is unknown who found him, according to TMZ.
Per the outlet, his body was ‘badly decomposed’ when discovered and Animal Control came to the house to take away his two dogs.
Authorities do not suspect ‘foul play’ as all his ‘weapons and music equipment in the home were left untouched.’
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As the longest-serving and final official drummer for My Chemical Romance from 2004 to 2010, Bryar’s departure was shrouded in rumors of tension with his bandmates—Frank Iero, Mikey Way, Gerard Way, and Ray Toro.
My Chemical Romance drummer Bob Bryar was found dead at his home in Tennessee, at age 44, just two days before Thanksgiving; seen in 2006
While the band members did not discuss the specifics, multiple sources confirmed that a falling out had occurred, per MTV.
Bryar replaced former drummer Matt Pelissier following the release of the band’s second album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004).
He went on to perform and record music with the group on all of their subsequent releases until his departure.
On March 3, 2010, guitarist Iero revealed that Bryar had left the band.
‘As of 4 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 endeavors and expect you all to do the same,’ he wrote on a statement shared to their official website.
He most recently teamed back up with the group in 2013 on their record, Conventional Weapons.
After retiring from music in 2014, he became a real estate agent and an active advocate of various dog rescues and sanctuaries.
In 2021, Bryar auctioned off the drum set he last used with the band—both on tour and during the recording of their iconic 2006 album The Black Parade—to raise funds for an animal rescue center in Tennessee, according to Rolling Stone.
Bryar was last seen alive on November 4, the same day he posted his final tweets, one of which simply read ‘TULSI,’ seemingly referencing former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
At this time, his cause of death has not been made public and it is unknown who found him, according to TMZ; pictured with his former bandmates (Ray Toro, Mikey Way, Gerard Way and Frank Iero)
Per the outlet, his body was ‘badly decomposed’ when discovered and Animal Control came to the house to take away his two dogs (seen in 2004)
Authorities do not suspect ‘foul play’ as all his ‘weapons and music equipment in the home were left untouched’ (seen in 2007)
‘This is my very last drum kit and it’s ready for a new home. I used this kit when [the band] opened the MTV VMAs in 2005, the following tour, and for some of the [Black Parade] record,’ he wrote in the listing, per the outlet.
Bryar was born in Chicago, Illinois and began playing drums from a young age.
In school, he performed in marching and jazz bands before going off to study sound engineering at the University of Florida.
In 2015, Bryar tweeted that after being ‘kicked out of MyChem’ that he ‘became the most depressed, angry, suicidal person ever.’
In a later, since-deleted tweet, he wrote: ‘Now, I am on so many pills that I feel a bit better, although, it still (b)others me every day. In a recent conversation, I was told I won’t be back.’
Although My Chemical Romance was scheduled to tour in 2025, Bryar was not scheduled to reunite with the band.
The current lineup of My Chemical Romance consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero and bassist Mikey Way.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, available 24/7/365.
