If you know even a little bit about modern rock music, you definitely already know about Brendon Urie. Coming onto the scene in 2005 as a 17-year-old covered in eyeliner, he and his band Panic! At The Disco blew everybody away with "I Write Sins Not Tragedies". Thanks to the rest of the album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, they quickly became one of the emblematic emo bands of the era.
Fast forward to today, and Brendon Urie is a pop-rock icon, known both for his smoldering good looks and insane musical talent (not to mention what a sweet guy he is). Panic may have lost some members along the way, but Urie has kept on chugging, now having released six albums and played multiple sold-out stadium tours to hordes of devoted fans. So who is the man behind the mastery? Let's look at all of the cool, interesting things we've learned about Brendon Urie over the years.
15 He Was Raised Mormon
Brendon Boyd Urie was born into a Mormon family, but he didn't ever really vibe with their ideals. As he told the Lyric Genius community:
When I was 16 years old, I sat my parents down and laid out what I had been doing the previous two years. I was like, “Listen, I have been having casual sex, I have been selling drugs to my friends and their parents, I have been sneaking out of the house every night.”
His parents were freaked out at first, but they eventually came around. They even appeared in his music video for "Hey Look Ma I Made It!"
14 He Grew Up In Las Vegas
Despite his family being Mormon, he grew up near what is famously called "Sin City" all over the nation - Las Vegas, Nevada. This was quite tricky for early gigs for his band, who were trying to make a name for themselves while they were still in high school.
"We were too young to play bars." Urie told Las Vegas Weekly in 2014. "The only [all-ages] place that we could play was the Huntridge, but that closed down a month before I joined the band."
13 He's The Reason The Band Always Dresses Up For Concerts
Because of their little underage-in-Vegas dilemma, Urie only did one live performance with the band before they signed with a label: A youth dance at his family's church.
"They were having a youth dance, and my mom asked—and then she told me about the dress code. We had to wear shirts, ties, the whole deal. So that’s how we started dressing up [for shows]. It felt more special."
12 He Wasn't Originally The Band's Singer
Urie was technically not one of the original members of Panic! At The Disco. (Technically.) He joined the band when he was sixteen, after bassist Brent Wilson met him in a guitar class and asked him to try out to replace the lead guitarist of his Blink-182 cover band.
Originally guitarist Ryan Ross was the lead singer, but after hearing Brendon sing backup vocals, the band unanimously agreed that they should switch. Ross' voice can still be heard as the lead on some tracks of their second album, Pretty. Odd.
11 He Got Panic! At The Disco Noticed By Trolling Pete Wentz
In 2004, when Panic! At The Disco decided they wanted to make it big, Brendon Urie decided to try to garner attention in an unusual way. He commented on the music videos of the already popular Fall Out Boy on YouTube, saying that they sucked and people should listen to his band's music, leaving a link.
Pete Wentz clicked on the link betting the band would be bad, wanting a laugh. When he heard their songs, he immediately decided to sign them to his new record label.
10 He's The Last Remaining Member of Panic! At The Disco
Over the fifteen-year course of Panic's existence, the other band members have dropped off one by one. Brent Wilson was replaced by Jon Walker as the bassist early on, but after creative differences surrounding the transition from their second album, Pretty. Odd., into their third, Walker and Ross both decided it would be best if they left.
Spencer Smith, the drummer, stayed on for two more albums, and they briefly added bassist Dallon Weekes to the official lineup. However, when Smith left to get away from the lifestyle, Weekes stepped out to give Urie creative control.
9 He Has ADHD
When Brendon was around 13, his mom took him to a psychologist after teachers complained that he was a major distraction in class. He was told he had a "very strong case of ADHD," and was put on medication, but he stopped taking them because he didn't like how he acted on them.
Today, he says he sees his ADHD as a positive. While it has its drawbacks, it gives him the energy to bounce around and multitask, which is a definite plus as a musician.
8 He Deals With Anxiety
Urie has also opened up about his struggles with anxiety, an affliction that affects millions of people in different ways. For him, it usually involves crowds (though thankfully not the crowds he performs to!)
“You would never tell on the surface but inside it’s so painful I can’t even describe… I start thinking of ways tot take myself out! I can go to festivals and open spaces, but if I’m in a crammed room with a bunch of people, oh my god…”
7 He Identifies as Pansexual
Even after he wrote "Girls Girls Boys," which as been dubbed by many as an LGBTQ+ anthem, Urie still said that he was straight in interviews. That is, until one interview with Paper in 2018:
"To me, I like a person. Yeah I guess you could qualify me as pansexual because I really don't care. If a person is great, then a person is great. I just like good people, if your heart's in the right place. I'm definitely attracted to men. It's just people that I am attracted to."
6 He's Been Married For Seven Years
When Urie gave this interview, he'd already been married to his wife, Sarah Urie (née Sarah Orzechowski) for five years. Now it's been seven, and he's exactly as in love with her as ever - anytime he speaks about her in interviews or online it's always glowing and full of praise. They have said they don't want children, but they have two dogs that they love very much.
