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Alexander Gaskarth

by Tara from Casselman

What is a hero? For many, a hero is someone with a cape, some special superpower and a cool nickname like Superman. But, are they considered everyday heroes? Without our everyday heroes, nothing would be possible for our society. Take a police officer for example. He's an everyday hero; he maintains justice within the city and keeps everyone safe from harm. You see, a hero doesn't need superpowers, a fancy name or a cape to be considered a hero. Anyone can be considered a hero, even you because the smallest actions can have the biggest impact on so many people and that is what touches people and inspires them. Take Alexander Gaskarth as an example; he's a hero. Yet he has the power to sing and covered in tattoos, not walking around in a cape and super powers. He's MY hero in this ugly society of ours, one true to himself and inspiring for many.

Jam session on his play guitar
Jam session on his play guitar

On December 14th, 1987, Peter and Isobel Gaskarth were both proud to announce the birth of their son, Alexander William Gaskarth, born in Harlow, England. Not only were his parents excited to see him, but so was his older half-brother, Tom. For nearly 6 years, Alex was raised in Toot Hill, in Essex until his father was transferred; therefore, he and his family moved to Maryland, U.S.A. Shortly after arriving in a new country, Alex adapted to his new home rather quickly, he attended school like any normal child, but he began to show an interest in poetry and music. Nearly 6 years after being in Maryland, at the age of 12, Alex lost his older brother, Tom. One night, he fell asleep and never awoke, Tom had passed away in his sleep and this struck young Alex because his brother was quite healthy and still very young (21 years of age). The next few years seemed to fly by for Alex, he began high school at Dulaney High School and that's where he met his best friend, Jack Barakat. Two years later, they met up with Rian Dawson and Zack Merrick. In 2003, the four friends formed All Time Low, a pop-punk band; which was only the beginning of Alex's journey.

Alex and his symbolic tattoo
Alex and his symbolic tattoo

Alex is a talented young man; he's written countless songs for his music along with several poems. When he sings, it's as though he's an angel calling forth for all other angels in the world. His skills on the guitar are utterly ridiculous and it proves how much talent, passion and dedication he puts into his music.

He's respectful; at any case, when something is bothering him - usually it's because someone did something to upset him - he takes the moment to express himself, but in a manner that doesn't put the other person down. For example; during an interview, Alex expressed how it was quite unusual for someone to show up at his home and take a picture while he's lounging around comfortably, but mentioned he had no problem with taking pictures with fans.

When Alex isn't being serious, he's quite the humorous guy; during interviews with anybody, he's able to put a smile on people's faces, no matter what. He'll do the outrageous in order to make everyone happy and see them smile. His photo shoots and music videos reflect how humourous he actually can be.

Since Alex began his journey in music, he's become more adventurous; he tours with his band, everywhere. They perform concerts in the states, in Canada, in the UK and recently, Asia and Europe. He has a sense of adventure and he's willing to try anything new, even if it means change. For example; just this past year, All Time Low participated in an Asia tour. They all went and performed several concerts throughout the continent, including Hong Kong.

Finally, my hero is determined; he will do whatever it takes to put a smile on people's faces and he'll do whatever he can to finish what he's started. For instance; during a concert - in Denver, 2009 - Alex fell off the stage and he hit his head quite hard on the ground. After minutes of being on the floor, he got right back up and continued the performance, finishing the concert. When the concert was over, Alex was brought to the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion but he never hesitated to getting back up and performing.

Alexander Gaskarth is my hero, he's true to himself, he'll stand up and defend what's right for him and he's overcome several obstacles but they never stood a chance of slowing him down. At a young age, he lost his older half-brother, someone very dear to him, but not a day has gone by where he misses Tom. He struggled with his loss, but never lost hope, when he became of age to make decisions of his own Alex got a tattoo of a rose on the back of his hand, and the rose represents his brother. Shortly after, he composed the song 'Lullabies', a song about his older brother and how much he misses him. Later on, Alex was diagnosed with anxiety. The anxiety could prove to get in the way of his career, but with his friends, he was able to overcome this obstacle as well.

This man is simply amazing; I don't believe words can begin to describe how great he is and how many people he's touched, but I am one of them. With his power and talent to write music, he's told stories and expressed himself through his songs, touching his fans in different ways and more than one. He's still a young man, therefore he still has a long journey of writing music, visiting different countries, making memories, smiling and laughing along with his friends, family and fans. But, I must say to him now, thank you.

Page created on 3/23/2014 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 3/23/2014 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Bibliography

Ableson, Jon . "Alter The Press!." [Online] Available www.alterthepress.com/2010/02/interview-all-time-low.html.

Silvia, Erin. "Famous Birthdays." [Online] Available http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/alex-gaskarth.html.

Loranger, Mandi. "Examiner." [Online] Available http://www.examiner.com/article/all-time-low-singer-suffers-head-injury.

Tamachi, Aaron . "Lithium ." [Online] Available http://www.lithiummagazine.com/interview-alex-gaskarth-all-time-low-january-17-2012.

Cooper, Delilah. "Lyric Freaks." [Online] Available http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/all+time+low/biography.html.