Way Bandy - Early Life

Early Life

Born Ronald Duane Wright in Birmingham, Alabama, Bandy was one of three sons born into a middle-class family. While growing up in Birmingham, he eschewed "traditional masculine things—fishing, hunting, baseball" in favor of sewing and piano lessons. Bandy's love of movie magazines and the stars featured in the pages led him to portrait paintings. Bandy said, "I would make them up the way I thought they should look. That's how I learned about cosmetics—it's a direct outgrowth of my painting."

After high school, Bandy attended Birmingham–Southern College where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. After two years, he dropped out to work as a department store model. Bandy later enrolled in Tennessee Technological University where he earned a degree in education. Upon graduation, he got a job teaching high school English in Tennessee and then in Maryland. During this period, Bandy got married. In the summer of 1965, he and his wife visited New York City. Bandy later said, "The minute we arrived I knew I would never go back to my former life. This was a new beginning." Bandy quit his teaching job and he and his wife separated.