Gerard Way || 🦇 💢

Michael James Way (born September 10, 1980) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bassist of My Chemical Romance. His older brother, Gerard, is the lead singer of the band.

Early life 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.[1] Growing up, Way and his brother were influenced by such bands as Iron Maiden, Misfits, Pulp, Blur, 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.[2] 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. Interests Coffee Arts & crafts Bass playing Comics Horror

Way attended Belleville High School and graduated in 1995. Deciding to pursue a career in the comic-book industry, he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1999. Both Gerard and Mikey were influenced by the bands Iron Maiden and The Misfits as well as British artists such as Pulp, Blur, Queen, Morrissey, and The Smiths. Gerard originally wanted to be a guitarist. His grandmother bought him his first guitar at the age of eight and he played in short-lived bands such as Ray Gun Jones and Nancy Drew with future bandmate Ray Toro, but when he was not successful (one band kicking him out due to his lack of skill with the guitar), he chose to concentrate on his art career.

Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and comic book writer, best known as the lead singer of My Chemical Romance and the creator of The Umbrella Academy. His younger brother, Mikey, plays bass in the aforementioned band Gerard was born April 9, 1977 in Summit, New Jersey to Donna Lee (née Rush) and Donald Way. He is a quarter Italian from his mother's side and half Scottish from his father's side. He was raised in Belleville, New Jersey and first began singing publicly in fourth grade, when he played the role of Peter Pan in a school musical production. His maternal grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, was a prominent creative influence who taught him to sing, paint, and perform from a young age. He has referred to her in interviews, stating that "she has taught me everything I know". She is also the subject of the song Helena. The glam metal band Bon Jovi was also instrumental in forming his love of music throughout elementary school.

He has said that he was very scared of death at a young age when he found out that everybody dies, and then he sort of became obsessed with it.

At the age of 15, Way was held at gunpoint. He stated in an interview with Rolling Stone in April 2008 that "I got held up with a .357 Magnum, had a gun pointed to my head and put on the floor, execution-style." The incident did not, however, impinge on his views of the world. He went on to say that "no matter how ugly the world gets or how stupid it shows me it is, I always have faith."[1]