Just one day ahead of Coal Chamber‘s scheduled performance at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, drummer Mikey “Bug” Cox has publicly disclosed his recent battle with Stage 3 cancer. Following a grueling year of medical treatments, the musician has officially been declared cancer-free.
To mark his recovery and give back to the community, the drummer announced a new partnership with the Fxck Cancer organization. As part of the initiative, he is holding a special auction for a custom, one-of-a-kind drum kit provided by ddrum, Scorpion Percussion, TRX Cymbals, and Gator Cases, with all proceeds directly funding cancer support and research.
Mikey “Bug” Cox shared the full details of his diagnosis, recovery, and new charitable endeavor in a public statement:
“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.”
The positive health update provides a much-needed boost for Coal Chamber, who have faced a turbulent recent touring schedule. In January 2025, the band was forced to completely cancel their “Fiend For The Fans” U.S. tour. The trek, which was set to feature support from Fear Factory, Twiztid, Black Satellite, and Frayle, was initially postponed from August 2024 due to a severe health emergency experienced by Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara.
Prior to the cancellations, the reunited nu-metal pioneers successfully completed a 2023 U.S. tour supporting Mudvayne, following their initial comeback shows at Sick New World and the Inkcarceration Music And Tattoo Festival earlier that year.
