Tommy Thayer
| Tommy Thayer | |
|---|---|
Tommy Thayer, Nashville, Tennessee, September 4, 2012
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| Background information | |
| Born |
November 7, 1960 Portland, Oregon, US |
| Genres | heavy metal, Hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts |
Black 'n Blue Kiss |
| Website | tommythayer |
Thomas Cunningham "Tommy" Thayer (born November 7, 1960) is an American musician and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist The Spaceman, for the American hard rock band Kiss, as well as the former lead guitarist for the band Black 'n Blue.
Thomas Cunningham Thayer was born on November 7, 1960, in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Beaverton, Oregon. His mother Patricia Thayer (née Cunningham) was a classically trained violinist and singer, and father James Thayer was a businessman, community leader and retired Brigadier General in the US Army.
Early on, Thayer was raised in a musical family with three brothers and a sister amidst sounds that ranged from classical to The Beatles and other classic 1960s pop music. Thayer's passion for early 1970s hard rock bands drove his desire to pick up electric guitar at age 13. After graduating from Sunset High School in 1978, Thayer played in many local garage and club bands, eventually forming his own group with singer Jaime St. James, which eventually took the name Black 'n Blue.
Formed in November 1981, Black 'n Blue played gigs in the Portland area for over a year before making a move to Southern California in early 1983. Black 'n Blue had immediate success as a top draw in Hollywood's rock clubs, and within six months signed a major worldwide recording contract with Geffen Records.
The band traveled to Germany in early 1984 to work with Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, releasing Black 'n Blue in August 1984, featuring the songs "Hold on to 18" and "School of Hard Knocks," both co-written by Thayer and St. James. The follow-up Bruce Fairbairn-produced album, Without Love was released in 1985 with Thayer, St. James and Jim Vallance co-writing the single "Miss Mystery." After touring for two months as opening act for Kiss in fall 1985, Black 'n Blue hired Kiss bassist Gene Simmons to produce the band's next studio album Nasty Nasty, released in 1986 and In Heat in 1988. Geffen subsequently dropped the band in late 1988.
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