Tommy Lee
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...
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 "Athena" 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, Nikki Sixx left London and joined Tommy to form a new band. Guitarist Mick Mars and singer Vince Neil joined them, completing Mötley Crüe.
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 in 1982 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. By 2008, the band had released nine studio albums. Several reached the Billboard 200 top ten, and 1989’s "Dr. Feelgood" was their only No. 1 album.
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.
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, as glam metal faded and grunge and alternative rock rose, the band went through a difficult period. Vince Neil left, and the self-titled album released in 1994 entered the charts strongly but did not match its predecessor’s commercial success. Neil returned for 1997’s "Generation Swine"; Tommy left in 1999 to pursue his own projects.
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. In 2005, he starred in the NBC reality show "Tommy Lee Goes to College", in which he tried to fit in as a student at the University of Nebraska.
19. In 2004, Tommy published the autobiography "Tommyland", co-written with Anthony Bozza. His second solo album, "Tommyland: The Ride", followed in 2005.
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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