User:Kamek98/Mikey Way

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Mikey Way
Mikey Way performing during a 2011 performance.
Mikey Way performing during a 2011 performance.
Background information
Birth nameMichael James Way
Born (1980-09-10) September 10, 1980 (age 43)
Newark, New Jersey, United States
OriginBelleville, New Jersey
GenresAlternative rock, post-hardcore
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Bass guitarist
Years active2001–present
LabelsReprise, Warner Bros., Eyeball

Michael James Way (born September 10th, 1980) is an American bass guitarist for the alternative rock band My Chemical Romance.[1] He is also the younger brother of the band's lead vocalist, Gerard Way.[1] Mikey has been in the band as the bass guitarist since 2001. Mikey Way can play the Highway 1 Precision Bass and, the Fender J., and the Fender Standard Precision Bass.[2]

Early life[edit]

Mikey Way was born on September 10th, 1980[3] to Donna Lee (née Rush) and Donald Way. Unlike his older brother, Mikey was born in Newark, New Jersey.[4] His brother was born in Summit, New Jersey. Mikey, like his brother, both have Scottish and Italian heritage.[5] Mikey Way and Gerard Way both grew up in Belleville, New Jersey.[6]

During Mikey's teenage years, he stayed musically active by performing for numerous small bands with friends, and occasionally he helped his brother Gerard. One of these bands Mikey played for when he was a teenager was called Raygun Jones.[7]

When Mikey Way was a teenager, he would illegally download Disney movies that weren't shown or released in America and sell them.[8]

Career[edit]

Music[edit]

Mikey Way and his brother were both inspired by many musicians. Mikey Way's first concert he ever attended was a Smashing Pumpkins concert.[9][10] Mikey's favorite band is Anthrax.[11]

Mikey Way is notably responsible for the naming of the band. When Mikey Way worked for Barnes and Nobles Book Store in Clifton, New Jersey he came across something within the title of one of the books available there. The book was called Ecstacy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance, by Irvine Welsh.[12]

When the band was lacking a bass guitar player early on, Mikey Way dropped out of college in order to learn the bass and support the band. When he dropped out of college, a major reason was for the recording of the band's first album under Eyeball Records; I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love.[13]


Before and during My Chemical Romance's first live performances, Mikey would drink large amounts of liqour to get mask and hide his fear of performing on stage in front of large amounts of people.[14]

Mikey Way has a phobia directed from large bodies of water. This caused Mikey to avoid large swimming pools and swimming at beaches in fear that he would be attacked by sharks.[15] During the recording of the music video to the song "The Ghost of You", the band recorded footage in a body of water in Malibu, California. When a boat used during the shooting gave in to weight put on it from camera crew, extras, costumes, and the band themselves, the band almost drowned. This was not planned for the video. Mikey Way revealed this incident in an interview with FUSE.

During the recording of My Chemical Romance's third studio album The Black Parade, Mikey Way had an emotional breakdown that ultimately had him leave the band temporarily. This almost caused the band to dissolve. Luckily for the band, Mikey attended therapy during his leave and would eventually rejoin the band soon after.[16]

During the July of 2007, a rumor spurred around stating Mikey Way left the band once again. Many fans thought it was for a negative purpose, though the actual reason was because Mikey became married.[17]

Mikey Way also appears in the Lostprophets music video for "Goodbye Tonight".[18]

Personal life[edit]

Mikey Way married his spouse Alicia D. Simmons on March 7th of 2007.[19] The two currently reside in a home in Brooklyn, New York, New York.[20]

Mikey Way was diagnosed with bipolar disorder between the release of "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" and the recording of "The Black Parade" in early 2006.[21][22] Mikey Way admits that the biplolar disorder was caused to taking large amounts of anti-depressant drugs and drinking excessive amounts of "booze". Mikey Way recalled once:

"It was like, I'm either gonna leave the band, or I'm gonna leave the planet Earth, or I'm gonna disappear and nobody's gonna hear from me again."[23]

Mikey Way had undergone laser eye surgery before the making of their fourth studio album, "Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", correcting Mikey's nearsightedness and allowing Mikey to go without the need for his glasses.[24]

Mikey Way's favorite food is sushi.[25] Mikey also has a desire for Starbucks's coffee and lattes.[26]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Biography for Mikey Way". Mikey Way. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Brother of My Chemical Romance front man Gerard Way. Mikey also plays bass guitar for the band.
  2. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He plays a Highway 1 Precision Bass, a Fender Standard Precision Bass and a Fender J.
  3. ^ "All About Mikey Way". My Chemical Romance. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Birthday- September 10, 1980
  4. ^ "Mikey Way Biography - Rotten Tomatoes". Celebrities. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Mikey Way was born Michael James Way, in Newark, New Jersey, where he grew up.
  5. ^ "Mikey Way Biography - Rotten Tomatoes". Celebrities. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He is the younger brother of Gerard Way, (with whom he has a very close relationship, and is also Scottish/Italian, like his brother).
  6. ^ "Mikey Way". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Mikey Way was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in Belleville, New Jersey.
  7. ^ "Mikey Way Biography". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. As a teenager, he stayed musically active by playing with a few small bands made up of friends, and occasionally his brother Gerard. One of these bands was named Raygun Jones.
  8. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. When he was a teenager, Mikey would download Disney movies that didn't show in America and sell them.
  9. ^ "Mikey Way Biography - Rotten Tomatoes". Celebrities. Retrieved 17 November 2012. The first concert he ever went to was a Smashing Pumpkins concert.
  10. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. The first concert he ever went to was a Smashing Pumpkins.
  11. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. His favorite band is Anthrax.
  12. ^ "Mikey Way Biography". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He is responsible for the band's name, which came from the book Ecstacy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance, by Irvine Welsh, while working at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in Clifton, New Jersey.
  13. ^ "Mikey Way Biography". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Mikey Way learned bass in order to be able to play in the band, which lacked a bassist at the time. He also dropped out of college so that he would have enough time to play with the band and record their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. He plays both a Highway 1 Precision Bass, and a Fender Standard Precision Bass.Mikey Way learned bass in order to be able to play in the band, which lacked a bassist at the time. He also dropped out of college so that he would have enough time to play with the band and record their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. He plays both a Highway 1 Precision Bass, and a Fender Standard Precision Bass.
  14. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. During the first show played by My Chemical Romance, Mikey drank a lot of liquor to mask his extreme stage fright.
  15. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He is afraid of large bodies of water. When he was younger he refused to go into the ocean and swimming pools because he was afraid of sharks.
  16. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. During the recording of The Black Parade, Mikey had a minor emotional breakdown, which caused him to leave the band temporarily, and almost caused them to break-up completely. He went through therapy while taking his temporary leave, and rejoined the band.
  17. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Some time during the first days of July 2007, a rumor erupted about Michael James Way, younger brother of My Chemical Romance's lead singer Gerard Way, was leaving the band. Fear not he is NOT leaving. He was just married to Alicia Simmons, and therefore is not playing with MCR for right now. He will be back though.
  18. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He appears in the Lostprophets' music video for Goodbye Tonight.
  19. ^ "Mikey Way -Biography". Celebrities. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Alicia D. Simmons (7 March 2007 - present)
  20. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with his fiance Alicia Simmons.
  21. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
  22. ^ Whitney Pastorek (December 1st, 2006). "Chemical Reaction: The transformation of My Chemical Romance -- How the rock band made The Black Parade". Music Articles. Retrieved 17 November 2012. During recording, the band found themselves dealing with the emotional breakdown of another Way sibling. I lost my goddamn mind, says Mikey, a skinny, gregarious guy with a sloppy smile. He'd fallen off the wagon in 2005 (When you know everyone in New York City, you walk in [to a bar] and they're like, Here's 80 drink tickets!), and the combination of booze and antidepression meds created a nearly bipolar reaction in early 2006. {{cite web}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)
  23. ^ Whitney Pastorek (December 1st, 2006). "Chemical Reaction: The transformation of My Chemical Romance -- How the rock band made The Black Parade". Music Articles. Retrieved 17 November 2012. It was like, I'm either gonna leave the band, or I'm gonna leave the planet Earth, or I'm gonna disappear and nobody's gonna hear from me again. {{cite web}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)
  24. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. He has recently had lasik eye surgery and no longer has to wear glasses.
  25. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. His favorite food is sushi.
  26. ^ "Mikey Way Trivia and Quotes". TV.com. Retrieved 17 November 2012. Mikey has a huge love for Starbucks coffee and lattes.

Notes[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to My Chemical Romance.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mikey Way.


Category:1980 births Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American rock musicians Category:The Black Parade (rock opera) Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:My Chemical Romance members Category:People from Belleville, New Jersey Category:American musicians

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