The superstar and drummer of one of the great glam metal bands Tommy Lee was born on October 3, 1962. So let's get to know him a little more in-depth than a sex tape...
(Photo: Jim Dyson)
1. His full name is Thomas Lee Bass and he was born in Athens, Greece to an American father and a Greek mother. He has a sister named "Athens" who is also a drummer. When he was a year old the family moved to the US.
2. He first held the sticks when he was four but bought the first drum set only when he was ten.
3. He decided to drop out of high school to start a musical career and his first band was "Suite 19". They started performing a lot in clubs in Los Angeles alongside bands like "Van Halen" and "Quiet Riot".
4. At that time bassist Nikki Sixx had a band called London that also performed in the same clubs and through that, a connection was formed between the two.
5. In 1981 Nicki's band disbanded and he joined Tommy to form a new band. They added guitarist Mick Mars, and singer Vince Neil and together they formed the band Mötley Crüe.
(Photo: https://pt.fanpop.com)
6. In 1981 the band released their debut album "Too Fast for Love" under their own independent label called Leathür Records. The band began to gain momentum and build a fan base when immediately after the release of the album it was signed by Elektra Records.
7. This is one of the most prominent heavy metal bands of the 80s, there is no doubt at all that "Motley Crue" is one of the biggest and most influential bands in the history of rock.
8. They released nine albums by 2008, and all of their albums reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 with the album "Dr. Feelgood" from 1989 being the only album to take first place.
9. Especially in the glam metal era, Motley was one of the standout bands using every possible pyrotechnics and special effects on and off stage.
(Photo: Ebet Roberts)
10. Tommy used to place his drum set on a huge platform that used to go up in the air and perform rounds while playing and also hover over the crowd by a formidable crane.
11. It's hard to describe in non - pornographic words all that happened around the band on and off stage and we will not try either, but let's say that drugs, sex, and rock n' roll were in the DNA of all the band members, without limits, without bounderies, going nonstop. Just look for the movie "The Dirt".
12. In the early 1990s, when glam metal faded and was trampled by grunge and alternative, the band experienced a severe downfall. The singer Vince decides to leave and the album that comes out in 1994 and bears the band name does succeed in the charts but fails commercially. After the tour to promote the album in 1999, Tommy also decides to leave the band and start a solo career.
13. That same year Tommy forms a Rap-Rock band called "Methods of Mayhem" and they release their debut album bearing the band's name and hosted artists like: Fred Durst, Crystal Method, U-God, Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Lil 'Kim and more.
14. The band disbanded immediately after the release of the album but returned to another album in 2010 called "A Public Disservice Announcement".
15. After the release Tommy decided to put his abilities and talents to the test, closed himself in the studio, and started recording his debut solo album "Never a Dull Moment". The entire album was written by Tommy with the help of producer Scott Humphrey and also help from members of our favorite band "Incubus".
16. The first single from the album was "Hold Me Down" which had a music video that had regular reruns on MTV2.
17. In 2004 Tommy returns to "Motley Crue" and after an exciting reunion performance, the historic band releases another album four years later called "Saints of Los Angeles".
18. That same year he stars in an NBC reality show called "Tommy Lee Goes to College" which he tries to integrate as a student at the University of Nebraska.
19. In 2005 Tommy published an autobiography about himself called "Tommyland" while at the same time releasing his second solo album "Tommyland: The Ride".
20. At that time Tommy began to establish another career as a DJ. Together with his friend DJ Aero who was with him in the band "Methods of Mayhem" they perform at festivals and huge parties around the world, sometimes by the name Electro Mayhem.
21. In 2006, Tommy and Jason Newsted (Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses) formed a band called "Rock Star Supernova" based on CBS "Rock Star" reality show. On the show, winner Lukas Rossi was chosen to be the band's singer. They released a single album that year bearing the band's name.
22. It is impossible not to mention the hot sex tape with then-wife Pamela Anderson that was the breakthrough of viral pornography on the internet. Tommy said a porn actor who worked at his home stole the tape and distributed it.
23. Tommy has collaborated with various and diverse artists like: Rob Zombie, Fall Out Boy, Foreign Beggars, Courtney Love, The Smashing Pumpkins, and many more in the role of drummer or DJ.
24. In October 2020 Tommy released his third solo album "Andro", in this album Tommy performs the roles of drums, background vocals, and production with each song hosting a different singer.
Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music
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