Robert Edward McCracken(born February 25, 1982) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock bandthe Used.
Bert McCracken | |
|---|---|
 McCracken in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Edward McCracken |
| Born | February 25, 1982 Provo, Utah,U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Member of | The Used |
Early life
editMcCracken was born inProvo, Utah,and grew up inOrem, Utah.He was raised in aMormonfamily with three sisters (Katie, Melanie, Rachel) and two younger brothers (Joseph Taylor and Phil McCracken-Wicum). McCracken has stated that he read quite voraciously growing up, due to the influence of his mother, who was a schoolteacher.[1]At age 12, he started playing the trumpet in a local band called "I'm With Stupid". He attendedTimpanogos High Schoolfor a brief time, before dropping out at 16.[citation needed]
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. He rebelled against his parents and against their Mormon religion, eventually leavingThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[1][2][3]He dropped out of high school; soon after, he left his home at the age of 16. For some time he was homeless until he found enough money for an apartment, moving in with then-girlfriend Kate.[4]
Career
edit
Prior to joining The Used, McCracken was the vocalist in astraight edgeband called Cobra Kai, which he was kicked out of after beginning to smokemarijuana.[5]
In January 2001, when the band called Dumb Luck (which later became The Used, then consisting ofQuinn Allman,Jeph Howard, andBranden Steineckert) were looking for a singer, Allman remembered McCracken and he was invited to try out. After being given music that the band had written without words, McCracken 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 byJohn Feldmannand signed toReprise Records;they became "The Used" when it was discovered that aBostonband had already trademarked the name "Used". On June 25, 2002, they released theirself-titled debut album.
In 2017, Allman sued McCracken for touring, album, and merchandise proceeds that occurred before his dismissal from the band, as well as damages for late and irregular royalty payments due to him.[6]The case was settled out of court in 2020.
In early 2024, McCracken announced that he would be releasing a solo album under the name “robbietheused”.[7]His debut single, "Just A Little Bit", was released on May 31, 2024.[8]
Personal life
editMcCracken appeared on theMTVshowThe Osbourneswhile he was datingKelly Osbourne,[9]to hermother'sdismay and disapproval.
In 2004, McCracken's then-pregnant ex-girlfriend Kate died of a drug overdose, as the recording of The Used's second albumIn Love and Deathwas coming to a close.[10]
In July 2008, McCracken married his Australian fiancée, Alison, at a private ceremony in Los Angeles. In July 2013, he announced that he and his wife had relocated from Los Angeles toSydney,Australia,[11]where their first daughter, Cleopatra Rose, was born in January, 2014. Their second child, Minerva Bloom, was born on March 23, 2018.[12]
McCracken has struggled withdrug addictionandalcoholismin the past,[10]the former referenced in the song "Bulimic" onThe Used'sself-titled album.[13]However, he has since overcome his addictions, being sober since 2012.[10]
Bert McCracken has voiced hissupportforPalestineandleft-wing politics[14]alongside being critical of aspects of contemporary American culture and society, such as the influence of larger corporations on the music industry, which partly prompted his move to Australia in 2013. His political views were also influential in the lyrical content of The Used's 2014 albumImaginary Enemy.[15]
About a year prior to the recording of The Used's 2017 albumThe Canyon,McCracken's friend Tregen died via suicide which heavily influenced the album's lyrical content.[16][17]
Discography
editSolo album
edit- robbietheused(October 25, 2024)
Singles
edit| Single | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" (Street Drum Corpsfeaturing Bert McCracken)[18] |
2005 | Taste of Christmas |
| "Vampire's Diet" (with3OH!3)[19] |
2021 | NEED |
| "Just A Little Bit" | 2024 | robbietheused |
Other appearances
edit| Title | Year | Artist | Album | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Spokesman" | 2002 | Goldfinger | Open Your Eyes | Additional vocals |
| "Open Your Eyes" | ||||
| "Woodchuck" | ||||
| "Anthem of Our Dying Day"[20] | 2003 | Story of the Year | Page Avenue | |
| "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" | 2004 | My Chemical Romance | Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge | |
| "Ocean Size" | 2005 | Goldfinger | Disconnection Notice | |
| "At Least I'm Good at Something" | 2006 | The Distance | The Rise and Fall and Everything in Between | Guest |
| "Handjobs for Jesus" | 2008 | Goldfinger | Hello Destiny... | Guest vocals |
| "Days Are Numbered" | 2013 | Black Veil Brides | Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones | Additional vocals |
| "Body Bag" | 2020 | Machine Gun Kelly | Tickets to My Downfall | Featured, Writer |
| "Over My Head" | Girlfriends | Girlfriends | Featured | |
| "Think About Me" | 2021 | Jxdn | Tell Me About Tomorrow | Writer |
| "Give Your Heart a Break"(Rock Version) | 2023 | Demi Lovato | Revamped | Featured |
| "Dearly Departed" | 2024 | Escape the Fate | Out of the Shadows 2.0 | Featured, Writer |
| "You're So Ugly When You Cry"[21] | The Funeral Portrait | Single | Featured | |
| "Just A Little Bit" | robbietheused | Debut single from his solo project |
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Punk Rock Holocaust | Himself | |
| 2006 | My Chemical Romance:Life On The Murder Scene | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2007 | Punk's Not Dead | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2013 | Black Veil Brides in the Studio: The Making of Wretched & Divine | Himself | Documentary film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | The Osbournes | Himself | 2 episodes |
References
edit- ^ab"The Used's Bert McCracken on Time, Philosophy + More".Loudwire.March 12, 2014.RetrievedOctober 16,2016.
- ^"Now That The Used Are No Longer Using, Life Is 'Unreal'".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon December 20, 2014.RetrievedOctober 16,2016.
- ^"The Used's Bert McCracken:" I'm brave, courageous, courteous, careful, loyal, thrifty and kind "".FasterLouder.April 24, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon March 13, 2016.RetrievedOctober 16,2016.
- ^"I'm Out Of My Head!".www.blender.com.
- ^Payne, Chris (2023).Where Are Your Boys Tonight? The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008.Dey Street Books. p. 146.ISBN9780063251281.
Jeph Howard:Bert had a metal band called Cobra Kai. We knew he could scream nonstop the whole show, but he also had a good singing voice.
Bert McCracken:I started smoking pot and the straight-edge band I was in kicked me out. After that, I drifted away from music for a while and drugs became my everyday. Slowly from alcohol, then weed and cocaine to crystal methamphetamines. I got caught up in that world, living with some tweakers in a garage, and on and on and on. - ^"Former The Used lead guitarist sues ex-bandmates two years after being fired from Utah-based group".February 7, 2024. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 2024.RetrievedApril 3,2024.
- ^"The Used's Bert McCracken launches pop solo project, robbietheused".Kerrang!.May 31, 2024.RetrievedMay 31,2024.
- ^robbietheused (May 30, 2024).robbietheused- Just a Little Bit (Audio).RetrievedMay 31,2024– via YouTube.
- ^"Meet Kelly Osbourne's ex-drug addict boyfriend".The Sydney Morning Herald.February 19, 2003.RetrievedAugust 6,2024.
- ^abc"The Used's Bert McCracken Discusses Losing A Loved One To Drugs, Overcoming Substance Abuse – Theprp.com".September 1, 2016.
- ^"Interview – Bert McCracken (The Used) – Cool Try".Archived fromthe originalon February 25, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 24,2018.
- ^Imaginary Enemy Album Booklet
- ^"r/Music – We're Bert, Jeph, Quinn + Dan, AKA – The Used. Ask us anything!".reddit.April 14, 2014.
- ^Loudwire (June 19, 2015)."The Used on Quinn Allman's Hiatus + Band's Future Goals".Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^"Bert McCracken of The Used is Mad as Hell and He's Not Gonna Take It Anymore".April 21, 2014.
- ^"The Used's Bert McCracken has powerful words about life and death – Alternative Press".Alternative Press.October 26, 2017.
- ^"The Used's Bert McCracken Talks Suicide & Loss, How It Influenced New Album 'The Canyon'".Billboard.
- ^"Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Single".iTunes Store.Apple Inc. November 15, 2005.RetrievedMarch 25,2020.
- ^"Vampire's Diet – Single".Apple Music.Apple Inc.RetrievedJuly 31,2021.
- ^"Making Page Avenue: Part 1 by Page Avenue Crew".
- ^"THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Enlist THE USED Vocalist BERT MCCRACKEN On New Track" You're So Ugly When You Cry "Out Today, April 19".April 19, 2024.
External links
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