My Chemical Romance. Musical legends in my eyes. As I mentioned before, in 2010 they released an album titled Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. This album is the "blueprint," if you will, for everything Killjoy.
March 22nd, 2013. The day the music died. On this day, My Chemical Romance announced they were breaking up. While some fans see this day as a tragic one for the music industry, the split may have saved lead singer Gerard Way's life. After the release of Danger Days, Gerard began relapsing into alcoholism.
Years ago, before the release of Danger Days, Gerard was a alcohol and drug addict. Eventually, Gerard hit rock bottom, and was digging deeper. One night while on tour, he called his manager on the phone, and told him something life-changing. Gerard wanted to kill himself. His manager told him to go and wake up Jerry, his tour manager. (Yes I know, there are two managers in this story. The manager on the phone, and the one on the bus.) Gerard told the tour manager what was going on and they went on a walk together. Jerry got Gerard through the next two hours until he finally passed out on his bunk.
Gerard decided this was enough. After three years of basically being drunk, he became completely sober in only 17 days.
After Danger Days came out, Gerard relapsed into drinking. The constant struggle between rockstars and alcoholism was taking its toll on Gerard's life. It was his daughter, Bandit, that saved him this time. Gerard knew Bandit couldn't have a father who was an alcohol addict. So he cut drinking out of his life once and for all. Unfortunately, he ended the band as well. I can't remember exactly how he worded it, but Gerard said something along the lines of "It was either break the band, or break myself."
Gerard posted a letter to his fans on his Twitlonger page explaining why the band broke up. (Here's the whole article if you want to read it: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjdh4f) He ended it with this message:
Since I am bad with goodbyes. I refuse to let this be one. But I will leave you with one last thing-
My Chemical Romance is done. But it can never die.
It is alive in me, in the guys, and it is alive inside all of you.
I always knew that, and I think you did too.
Because it is not a band-
it is an idea.
Love,
Gerard
