Mikey Way

**Michael James Way** (born September 10, 1980) is the bass guitarist of the American rock band My Chemical Romance, and is the younger brother of the band's lead vocalist and frontman Gerard Way.

Mikey Way was born in Kearny, New Jersey to Donna Lee (née Rush) and Donald Way. He is half Italian from his mother's side and half Scottish from his father's side. He grew up in Belleville, New Jersey with his brother and parents. Way attended Belleville High School until he graduated in 1998.

Growing up, Way and his brother were influenced by such bands as Iron Maiden, The Misfits, Pulp, Blur, and Morrissey and The Smiths. The first concert Way attended was The Smashing Pumpkins at Madison Square Garden, but his desire to play music was inspired by a particular live record, Iron Maiden's *Live After Death*.

## Career

### My Chemical Romance

At the time guitarist, Ray Toro joined Gerard and drummer Matt Pelissier in the group, the band was without both a name and a bassist. Encouraged by Eyeball Records founder Alex Saavedra, Way dropped out of college in order to learn the bass guitar and join his brother. His only previous musical experience had been an unsuccessful audition to join Eyeball's Pencey Prep, future MCR guitarist Frank Iero's band. Despite his lack of experience and musical training, Way became important in the band's early development, not least of which was coming up with a name for the band. He had taken up a job stacking shelves at a branch of Barnes & Noble and noticed Irvine Welsh's novel *Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance* lying on the ground. The words 'Chemical Romance' caught his eye, and he added 'My' to give the name a "personal touch" .

Over the first years, My Chemical Romance played, Way drank alcohol heavily to mask his extreme stage fright. During the writing and recording of The Black Parade at the allegedly haunted Paramour Mansion, Way suffered severely as a result of depression, alcoholism, and the atmosphere at the Mansion. As he revealed in an interview with *Kerrang!*: "I know that I was going to leave the band or maybe just leave planet Earth altogether". He eventually left Paramour to get psychological help, and stayed with close friend and band lawyer Stacy Fass, who he said: "saved my life".

During 2005, Way was a touring member of American rock band From First To Last for the "Christmassacre" tour, due to the fact that bassist Jon Weisberg had left the band. Way met his wife-to-be, bassist and fellow touring member Alicia Simmons, on this tour. On April 19, 2007, Gerard announced via the band's official website that from May 5, Mikey Way would be temporarily replaced as bassist by guitar technician Matt Cortez to allow him to take a break with his newlywed wife. Way returned to the lineup later in the year.

In a 2010 interview with *American Music Press*, Way was asked about the "number one thing [My Chemical Romance] has done for [him]": "It’s changed me a great deal, it’s made me not be such a defeatist about things, to be more confident in myself, it taught me to constantly create, and constantly evolve. It gave me the power to be the best version of me, any day. I think for that I am eternally grateful".

My Chemical Romance has released four studio albums, *I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love* (2002), *Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge* (2004), *The Black Parade* (2006), and *Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys* (2010), A fifth Album was being made but was cancelled due to My Chemical Romance breaking up on March 22, 2013. Their discography also consists of two live albums, six extended plays, 19 singles, four video albums, 15 music videos, one demo, and 11 original appearances on other albums

### The break up

On March 22nd 2013, the band did break up, it was announced on their official website by the following:

"Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. We've been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible. We've shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure". —My Chemical Romance

**"In closing, I want to thank every single fan. I have learned from you, maybe more than you think you've learned from me. My only regret is that I am awful with names and bad with goodbyes. But I never forget a face, of a feeling- and that is what I have left from all of you. I feel love**

**I feel love for you, for our crew, out team, and for every single human being, I have shared the band and stage with-**

**Ray. Mikey. Frank. Bob. James. Todd. Cortez. Tucker. Pete. Michael. Jerrod.**

**Since I am bad with goodbyes. I refuse to let this be one. But i will leave you with one last thing-**

**My Chemical Romance is done. But it can never die. It is alive in me, in the guys, and it is alive inside all of you. I always knew that, and I think you did too.**

**Because it is not a band- *it is an idea.***

L**ove, Gerard"** — Gerard Way

oken.

On March 22Fans were heartbroken.

On March 22nd 2013, the band officially broke up, but 6 years later on October 31st, 2019, it was officially announced by the band via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter ,etc. that they were officially reuniting (minus former drummer Bob Bryar, who will be replaced on drums by former MCR touring drummer Jarrod Alexander) for their first show together on December 20th, 2019 in Los Angeles, California at the Shrine Expo Hall.

### Electric Century

Following the breakup of My Chemical Romance in 2013, Way formed a band with fellow musician and long-term friend David Debiak (Sleep Station, New London Fire) called Electric Century. Way came up with the name, telling Billboard, "I was in middle school when I came up with the name Electric Century. I was in science class, I remember. I used to write band names on my notebook. I came up with Electric Century and was like, 'Whoa, I like that, I’m going to remember that one!'" . In the same interview, Way describes his vision for the band's sound as britpop/new wave.

Electric Century released their first song, *I Lied*, in February 2014. A second single, *Let You Get Away*, was released in January 2015. The band has since released a self-titled EP in March 2015, and an album, F*or The Night To Control*, in February 2021.

Way had initially stated that he did not plan to tour with Electric Century, as he felt it might jeopardize his health , but has since suggested otherwise, stating that he and Debiak were planning a few shows, saying that it had been "in [his] head" and had come close to happening before . As of 2022, Way is touring with My Chemical Romance.

### Writing

In 2008, during My Chemical Romance's break after touring The Black Parade, Way penned an eight-page story that appeared in DC Comics' special "Halloween '08" book, and featured art by Mateus Santoluoco. Based on Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", his story starred Batman and Scarecrow in a role reversal as the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane respectively . On August 25, 2011, Way revealed in an interview with *AbsolutePunk* that he and his brother are working on "something for DC [Comics]" .

Way co-wrote the six issue series *Collapser* with friend Shaun Simon. The series was released between July and December of 2019 through Way's brother Gerard's DC imprint, Young Animal. The pair also wrote a comic titled *Electric Century*, a tie-in to Way's musical side project.

### Other Projects

In addition to music and writing, Way has done some acting and voice acting. In 2013, he played a villain in an episode of *The Aquabats! Super Show!*. The episode was also directed by his brother. In 2015 Way acted in the music video for Good Charlotte's song *Makeshift Love*. He had a voice role in the animated series *Transformers: Power of the Primes* in 2018.

## Interests

* Coffee

* Arts & crafts

* Bass playing
* Comics
* Horror
* Unicorns (Way and the rest of the band have rejected this, saying that Mikey "hates" unicorns )

## Personal Life

Way's trademark was his glasses, but all that changed in May of 2006 to correct his near-sightedness, Way got Lasik eye surgery; he no longer wears glasses. As quoted from Way's myspace page: "At the young age of 9 years, Michael James Way was struck with the affliction known as nearsightedness. Unable to see such things as the chalkboard, the movie screen (or anything more than 5 feet away) the lad was forced to get corrective lenses. Michael and his glasses spent many fruitful years together. They saw each other through the good times, as well as the bad. In May of 2006 this friendship came to a crashing halt. Michael's glasses met their end tragically, by way of Lasik eye surgery. The glasses leave behind two loving brothers, Ray Ban, Paul Frank, and their father Chanel. Viewing times and dates will be announced shortly."

On March 7, 2007, after My Chemical Romance's gig in Las Vegas, Way married guitar tech and merchandise seller Alicia Simmons, 23, backstage . They have matching tattoos on their wrists, consisting of a heart-shaped jar with flames emitting from it; across the jar read *"FOREVER"*. They moved to Los Angeles and settled down there.

Way and Simmons divorced around the the time of My Chemical Romance's breakup. Before their separation was public knowledge, photos of Way and his new girlfriend, Sarah, surfaced on social media, sparking rumors that he had cheated on Simmons. In November 2013, Way tweeted a since-deleted message addressing the rumors, stating that, "Sarah and I didn't get together until I was already broken up with my ex, and there was no "cheating" involved". Way further stated that the photos had been posted "by a friend of his ex" to embarrass him, and that the rumors had not been the cause of My Chemical Romance's split . He and Sarah broke up on 7th February 2014.

Way entered rehab in February 2014, following an intervention from Electric Century bandmate David Debiak. On November 25, 2014, Way posted an open letter to the Electric Century website, discussing the substance abuse issues he had dealt with since his teens, as well as his experience in rehab . He has since quit smoking . Way has occasionally mentioned his struggles with addiction in recent years, such as posting pictures of his sobriety coins. As of June 2022, he is more than eight years sober.

Way has been open about his difficulties with mental illness, beginning with interviews during the Black Parade press cycle where he revealed he has bipolar disorder. In recent years, Way has advocated for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, regularly posting about the subject on social media as well as hosting Hot Topic's "Mental Notes" virtual concert in 2020 and 2021.

On April 13th, 2014, Kristin Blanford/Colby, posted a picture of herself with Mikey Way on her Instagram, showing that they are dating. Way then posted pictures of the two of them on his Twitter.

On March 27th, 2015 Way proposed to Blanford in Disneyland. The two married February 20th, 2016, which was confirmed via an anniversary post by Way himself[1]. Their wedding anniversary is also Way's sobriety anniversary .

On October 20th, 2016, the couple announced on Twitter that they were expecting their first child, a girl, via a photo of their feet with a pair of pink baby shoes placed in the center, captioned "can't wait to meet you!". Gerard Way added on his Facebook that he and his family were "overjoyed" at the news and that "Bandit is fully prepared to welcome and look after her new cousin" the following day in a segmented post titled "My friends (and brother and sister-in-law) Make Cool Things Part 3."

Way's first child and daughter, Rowan Louise Way, was born on May 3rd, 2017, and on December 13, 2018, he and his wife announced that they were expecting their second daughter. Kennedy James Way's birth was announced via Instagram on June 7, 2019.

## Quotes

* "Don't be afraid to try the most insane thing."
* "There's less violence in the world when people are using hula hoops."
* "Success doesn't mean you have to change."
* "I love arts and crafts"
* "Unicorns really do exist"
* "i want a fucking apple"