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Bert McCracken
McCracken in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Robert Edward McCracken
Born	(1982-02-25) February 25, 1982 (age 42) Provo, Utah, U.S.
Genres	Emo screamo post-hardcore hardcore punk punk rock alternative rock pop-punk
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Member of	The Used

Robert Edward McCracken (born February 25, 1982) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band the Used.

Early life

McCracken was born in Provo, Utah, and grew up in Orem, Utah. He was raised in a Mormon family 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. At age 12, he started playing the trumpet in a local band called "I'm With Stupid". He attended Timpanogos High School for a brief time, before dropping out at 16.

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 leaving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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.

Career

Prior to joining The Used, McCracken was the vocalist in a straight edge band called Cobra Kai, which he was kicked out of after beginning to smoke marijuana.

In January 2001, when the band called Dumb Luck (which later became The Used, then consisting of Quinn Allman, Jeph Howard, and Branden 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 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. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 21, 2003. Seventeen years after its debut, it was certified Platinum on September 28, 2019.

On September 28, 2004, The Used released their second album, In Love and Death, under Reprise Records. Within the first week of its release, it sold 93,240 copies and charted at number six on the Billboard 200. By March 2005, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA. On February 28, 2019, it was certified Platinum; fifteen years after its debut.

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. 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”. His debut single, "Just A Little Bit", was released on May 31, 2024.

Personal life

McCracken appeared on the MTV show The Osbournes while he was dating Kelly Osbourne, to her mother's dismay and disapproval.

In 2004, McCracken's then-pregnant ex-girlfriend Kate died of a drug overdose, as the recording of The Used's second album In Love and Death was coming to a close.

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 to Sydney, Australia, where their first daughter, Cleopatra Rose, was born in January, 2014. Their second child, Minerva Bloom, was born on March 23, 2018.

McCracken has struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism in the past, the former referenced in the song "Bulimic" on The Used's self-titled album. However, he has since overcome his addictions, being sober since 2012.

Bert McCracken has voiced his support for Palestine and left-wing politics 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 album Imaginary Enemy.

About a year prior to the recording of The Used's 2017 album The Canyon, McCracken's friend Tregen died via suicide which heavily influenced the album's lyrical content.

Discography

The Used

see The Used discography

Solo album

• robbietheused (October 25, 2024)

Singles

Other appearances

Filmography

Film

Television

References

1. ^ Hartmann, Graham (March 12, 2014). "The Used's Bert McCracken Philosophizes On The Past, Present And Future". Loudwire. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
2. Beaudoin, Jennifer (May 13, 2012). "Who Are The Used?". Q105.7. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
3. Enis, Eli (December 23, 2020). "Bert McCracken Tells Personal Stories Behind Debut's Standout Songs". Revolver. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
4. "Now That The Used Are No Longer Using, Life Is 'Unreal'". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
5. "The Used's Bert McCracken: "I'm brave, courageous, courteous, careful, loyal, thrifty and kind"". FasterLouder. April 24, 2014. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
6. "I'm Out Of My Head!". Blender. February 7, 2024. Archived from the original on October 19, 2004. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
7. Payne, Chris (2023). Where Are Your Boys Tonight? The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008. Dey Street Books. p. 146. ISBN 9780063251281. 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.
8. "Gold & Platinum - The Used". RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
9. Montgomery, James (October 6, 2004). "Hilary Duff Debuts At #2, Ciara Lands At #3 On Albums Chart". MTV News. Viacom. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
10. "Gold & Platinum - In Love and Death". RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
11. "Former The Used lead guitarist sues ex-bandmates two years after being fired from Utah-based group". February 7, 2024. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
12. "The Used's Bert McCracken launches pop solo project, robbietheused". Kerrang!. May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
13. robbietheused (May 30, 2024). robbietheused- Just a Little Bit (Audio). Retrieved May 31, 2024 – via YouTube.
14. "Meet Kelly Osbourne's ex-drug addict boyfriend". The Sydney Morning Herald. February 19, 2003. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
15. ^ "The Used's Bert McCracken Discusses Losing A Loved One To Drugs, Overcoming Substance Abuse – Theprp.com". September 1, 2016.
16. "Interview – Bert McCracken (The Used) – Cool Try". Archived from the original on February 25, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
17. Imaginary Enemy Album Booklet
18. "r/Music – We're Bert, Jeph, Quinn + Dan, AKA – The Used. Ask us anything!". reddit. April 14, 2014.
19. Loudwire (June 19, 2015). "The Used on Quinn Allman's Hiatus + Band's Future Goals". Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
20. "Bert McCracken of The Used is Mad as Hell and He's Not Gonna Take It Anymore". April 21, 2014.
21. "The Used's Bert McCracken has powerful words about life and death – Alternative Press". Alternative Press. October 26, 2017.
22. "The Used's Bert McCracken Talks Suicide & Loss, How It Influenced New Album 'The Canyon'". Billboard.
23. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Single". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. November 15, 2005. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
24. "Vampire's Diet – Single". Apple Music. Apple Inc. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
25. "Making Page Avenue: Part 1 by Page Avenue Crew".
26. "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

• Bert McCracken profile at IMDb
• The Used official website

• 1982 births
• Living people
• Alternative rock pianists
• American alternative rock singers
• American alternative rock musicians
• Former Latter Day Saints
• American male singer-songwriters
• American rock keyboardists
• American rock pianists
• American male pianists
• American video jockeys
• American rock songwriters
• Musicians from Provo, Utah
• The Used members
• 20th-century American singer-songwriters
• 21st-century American singer-songwriters
• 21st-century American pianists
• 20th-century American male singers
• American expatriates in Australia
• 21st-century American male singers
• Singer-songwriters from Utah