Editing Bert McCracken (section)

== 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 one younger brother (Joseph Taylor). McCracken has stated that he read quite voraciously growing up, due to the influence of his mother, who was a schoolteacher.<ref name="loudwireinterview">{{cite web|last1=Hartmann |first1=Graham |title=The Used's Bert McCracken Philosophizes On The Past, Present And Future |url=https://loudwire.com/the-used-bert-mccracken-past-present-future/|website=Loudwire |date=12 March 2014 |access-date=6 December 2024}}</ref> At age 12, he started playing the trumpet in a local band called "I'm With Stupid". He attended [[Timpanogos High School]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beaudoin |first1=Jennifer |title=Who Are The Used? |url=https://q1057.com/who-are-the-used/ |website=Q105.7 |access-date=6 December 2024 |date=May 13, 2012 }}</ref> for a brief time, before dropping out at 16.<ref name="revolvermag">{{cite web |last1=Enis |first1=Eli |title=Bert McCracken Tells Personal Stories Behind Debut's Standout Songs |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/used-bert-mccracken-tells-personal-stories-behind-debuts-standout-songs/ |website=Revolver |access-date=6 December 2024 |date=23 December 2020}}</ref>

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]].<ref name="loudwireinterview" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1456134/now-that-the-used-are-no-longer-using-life-is-unreal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220034334/http://www.mtv.com/news/1456134/now-that-the-used-are-no-longer-using-life-is-unreal/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 20, 2014|title=Now That The Used Are No Longer Using, Life Is 'Unreal'|newspaper=MTV News|access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/the-useds-bert-mccracken-im-brave-courageous-courteous-careful-loyal-thrifty-and-kind/837297|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313152132/http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/the-useds-bert-mccracken-im-brave-courageous-courteous-careful-loyal-thrifty-and-kind/837297|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 13, 2016|title=The Used's Bert McCracken: "I'm brave, courageous, courteous, careful, loyal, thrifty and kind"|date=April 24, 2014|newspaper=FasterLouder|language=en-US|access-date=October 16, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1051 |title=I'm Out Of My Head! |website=Blender |date=2024-02-07 |access-date=December 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041019013649/http://www.blender.com:80/guide/articles.aspx?id=1051 |archive-date=October 19, 2004 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>