COAL CHAMBER Drummer MIKEY 'BUG' COX Reveals Cancer Battle

As COAL CHAMBER gets ready to hit the stage as part of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada tomorrow (Saturday, April 25),COAL CHAMBER drummer Mikey "Bug" Cox is today making his own personal revelation that he has been fighting — and winning — a battle with cancer. As a result of his recovery, he is proud to announce his partnership with Fxck Cancer to hold a special auction of a custom one-of-a-kind drum kit from ddrum with proceeds going to cancer support and research.

Cox comments: "GRATITUDE. It's a word that gets thrown around a lot, but it hits differently for me these days.

"April 1, 2025, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. I'm not unique. It feels like a lot of us are dealing with this or know someone who is. It's dark, it's scary, and it changes the lives of everyone in its orbit.

"The first thing I said to my wife was that I was going to fight with everything I had for my family! There were a lot of days I couldn't make it out of bed, but I didn't want cancer to define me. So, I finished building the house I was working on with my Bash Construction Group company, and I wrote some of the best music of my life! After a yearlong battle and absolutely brutal rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and eventually surgery, I'm so grateful to be able to say I made it to CANCER FREE.

"The second thing I said to myself was that I wanted to create something positive out of this situation, and that's where we are today. I hope you'll join me as I partner with Fxck Cancer to auction off a custom, one-of-a-kind drum kit from ddrum, Scorpion Percussion, TRX Cymbals, and Gator Cases with proceeds to bring awareness, support and resources to those who may find themselves in this unpredictable and unwanted community of warriors.

"I'll have so many people to thank and share my story with in the coming days, and I will be highlighting some of the amazing people and organizations that are working with us to make this goal of mine a reality.

"Today I celebrate life, healing, and the strength it takes to survive. I cannot wait to get back on stage post-cancer. These upcoming shows are going to be something truly special.

"I chose to partner with Fxck Cancer, because of its bold, direct approach to a disease. Their work breaks stigma, encourages honest conversations, and promotes early detection in a way that resonates — especially with younger audiences and the music community. Its unapologetic voice makes the message feel urgent, relatable and empowering, helping people face cancer head-on instead of avoiding it."

In 2023, COAL CHAMBER completed a U.S. tour as the support act for MUDVAYNE.

COAL CHAMBER played its first two shows in eight years at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas in May 2023 and at the Inkcarceration Music And Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio in July 2023.

In January 2025, COAL CHAMBER canceled its previously rescheduled "Fiend For The Fans" U.S. tour. The trek, which was originally slated to kick off in August 2024 before being postponed to March/April 2025 due to COAL CHAMBER vocalist Dez Fafara's health emergency, was supposed to feature support from FEAR FACTORY, TWIZTID, BLACK SATELLITE and FRAYLE.

Photo credit: Jim Morris