Mikey Way

Best known as the bassist for New Jersey alternative emo-rockers My Chemical Romance -- and, of course, lead singer Gerard Way's little brother -- Mikey Way was born on September 10, 1980, in Newark, NJ. He was raised in nearby Belleville, where he and his brother spent a lot of time in the house together creating fantasy worlds, since their mother preferred them not going outside into their crime-ridden neighborhood. Much more outgoing than his older brother, Way was involved in the local music scene, interning for a time at fledgling indie Eyeball Records. When Gerard approached him following the September 11th attacks in 2001 about joining a band he'd just started, Way jumped at the chance, even suggesting the name My Chemical Romance (taking it from a line in a book by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh). Eye surgery found him shedding his trademark black-rimmed glasses around the time of the 2006 release of the band's third album, the wildly popular The Black Parade. Way then married in March 2007 and took a subsequent hiatus from My Chemical Romance to spend time with his new wife while the band continued touring. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide