The lead singer of The Academy Is…, William Eugene Beckett Jr. was born February 11, 1985 in Libertyville, Illinois. After ending his short lived solo project, Remember Maine, William decided to take music more seriously and began searching for someone who shared that passion. He met up with Michael Carden, of a rival band, and after Carden’s band separated, the two got into deeper conversations about music. William and Carden saw how much they had in common and began writing songs, and The Academy was born. The two completed the line up, the band’s name was changed to The Academy Is…, and was signed to Fueled By Ramen/Decaydance Records. William has found great success with The Academy Is… and along with that has gone on to do work with other bands and artists.