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Thomas Cunningham Thayer (born November 7, 1960) is an American musician and songwriter. He is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the American hard rock band
Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
. He was also lead guitarist for the band Black 'n Blue.


Early life

Thomas Cunningham Thayer was born on November 7, 1960, in
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...
, and grew up in the nearby suburb of
Beaverton, Oregon Beaverton is a city in Washington County, in the U.S. state of Oregon with a small portion bordering Portland in the Tualatin Valley. The city is among the main cities that make up the Portland metropolitan area. Its population was 97,494 at ...
. His mother Patricia Thayer (née Cunningham) was a classically trained violinist and singer, and his father, James Thayer (1922-2018), was a businessman, community leader and retired
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...
. Early on, Thayer was raised with three brothers and a sister in a musical family, exposed to genres that ranged from classical to
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
and other classic 1960s pop music. Thayer's affinity for early 1970s hard rock bands led him to pick up electric guitar at age 13. After graduating from Sunset High School in 1978, Thayer played in local garage and club bands, eventually forming his own group with singer Jaime St. James, which eventually took the name Black 'n Blue.


Personal life

Tommy announced via his officia
Instagram account
March 5th, 2021, that he had found out that he had a 31 year old daughter in the Summer of 2020
Sierra Sanchagrin
Tommy expressed joy being able to get to know his daughter and develop a bond at this stage in his life. Sierra served as an active sailor in the United States Navy for over 4 years. Sierra's mother's name is Christina, though few other details are known about her relationship with Tommy. Tommy revealed in an article that he discovered he was a father through a cousin that was on 23andMe. Sierra is Tommy's only known child.


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. Within six months the band signed a recording contract with
Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
. 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 Bruce Earl Fairbairn (December 30, 1949 – May 17, 1999) was a Canadian record producer. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999, and is considered one of the best of his era. His most successful productions are ''Slippery When Wet'' an ...
-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 Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ויץ, ; born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American musician. Also known by his stage persona The Demon, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded with Paul ...
to produce the band's next studio album '' Nasty Nasty'', released in 1986 and ''
In Heat The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous p ...
'' in 1988. The band subsequently broke up in late 1988. Although no longer a permanent member of the band, Thayer has performed periodically with the other original members of Black 'n Blue for several one-off reunion and benefit concerts. In October 2010, the band was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in Portland, with all five members of the classic lineup (including Thayer) attending.


Pre-Kiss

John Kalodner from
Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
invited Thayer to play on
Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best- ...
' Australian album '' For The Working Class Man'' (released outside the Australian market as ''Jimmy Barnes''). Both Barnes and Thayer's group Black 'n Blue were signed to Geffen. The album was recorded in Los Angeles and New York in 1984–85. When interviewed some years later he recalled that the two sessions he played on included
Mick Fleetwood Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and occasional actor. He is best known as the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of t ...
on drums, and
Billy Burnette Dorsey William Burnette III (born May 8, 1953 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who was part of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1995. Burnette also had a brief career in acting. Family ba ...
on guitar. In 1989, Thayer co-wrote songs with Gene Simmons and played session guitar on song demos for Kiss' 1989 release, '' Hot in the Shade'', which includes the Simmons and Thayer songs "Betrayed" and "The Street Giveth, The Street Taketh Away". That same year, Thayer recorded guitar tracks for singer-songwriter Teresa Straley and producer Pat Regan's record deal with
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
. Thayer co-produced and played guitar on
Doro Doro may refer to: * Doro (musician), rock singer, former vocalist of the German heavy metal band Warlock ** ''Doro'' (album), a 1990 album by Doro * AKA (rapper) (born 1988), South African hip hop recording artist * Dorothy Bush Koch, often calle ...
Pesch's 1991
Polygram Records PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
release, ''
Doro Doro may refer to: * Doro (musician), rock singer, former vocalist of the German heavy metal band Warlock ** ''Doro'' (album), a 1990 album by Doro * AKA (rapper) (born 1988), South African hip hop recording artist * Dorothy Bush Koch, often calle ...
''. In 1992, Thayer joined Los Angeles rock band Shake the Faith and recorded the album ''America the Violent'', which was released in Japan in 1994. Thayer persuaded journalist Hunter S. Thompson to create the original artwork for the album cover. Thayer and other members of Shake the Faith continued in the band No. 9, which recorded an album for Elektra Records that was never released. The No. 9 album included a cover of
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...
's "Alison".


Kiss

In 1994, Kiss' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley hired Thayer to work part-time on their forthcoming book ''Kisstory'', which led to other projects and eventually a full-time role with Kiss. Thayer's work for Stanley and Simmons began by performing such tasks as painting Stanley's house and cleaning out Simmons' gutters. Thayer managed the 1995 Worldwide Kiss Convention tour and the Kiss ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' concert. In preparation for 1996's Kiss Alive/Worldwide Tour, Thayer worked with guitarist
Ace Frehley Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (; born April 27, 1951) is an American musician, best known as the original lead guitarist and co-founding member of the hard rock band Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman (a.k.a. Space Ace) and played wit ...
and drummer
Peter Criss George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is a retired American musician, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established The Ca ...
, to help them relearn their original guitar and drum parts from the 1970s. Thayer worked as producer and editor of Kiss' long form video and film releases including: ''Kiss, The Second Coming'' in 1998, New Line Cinema's feature '' Detroit Rock City'' in 1998, and Showtime Television's pay-per-view, ''The Last Kiss'' in 2000. By 2002 and with the growing uncertainty of Ace Frehley's involvement in the band, Thayer stood by for a Kiss performance at the
2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internationa ...
Closing Ceremony in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
to fill-in on lead guitar if necessary. One month later, Thayer got the call and donned the Spaceman makeup for the first time, filling in and performing onstage with Kiss at a private concert in
Trelawny Trelawny or Trelawney may refer to: Places * Trelawny (electoral division), an electoral division of Cornwall * Trelawny, Black Hill, Ballarat, a heritage house in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia * Trelawny, Jamaica, a parish of Cornwall County, Jam ...
, Jamaica. Several TV appearances followed in 2002 including ABC's ''Dick Clark's
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pr ...
50th Anniversary Show'' and ''That 70s Show'' on Fox.


The Spaceman

After the 2003 performance in Trelawny, Jamaica, Thayer became the lead guitarist for Kiss. In 2003, Thayer with Kiss joined forces with the 70-piece
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008. The MSO relies on f ...
(all in Kiss makeup) for a concert at the Telstra Dome in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
Australia. Recorded and filmed in front of 40,000 fans, a
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
, '' Kiss Symphony: Alive IV'' CD and DVD were released worldwide later that year. In 2004, Thayer produced the RIAA double-platinum selling DVD set, ''
Rock the Nation Live! ''KISS: Rock the Nation Live!'' is a 2005 live music DVD by United States, American hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss. The DVD is notable for the addition of "Kiss Powervision", which enables the viewer to select different camera angles, each focus ...
'', released worldwide in 2005. ''
Sonic Boom A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to ...
'', the first Kiss studio album in 11 years, was released worldwide in October 2009, debuting at No. 2 on the
Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...
album chart. Thayer co-wrote three songs on the record, including his own lead vocal debut on "When Lightning Strikes.” A new Kiss studio album, titled ''
Monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'', was released in October 2012; Thayer co-wrote 10 songs and sang lead vocal on "Outta This World". Thayer produced '' Kiss Rocks Vegas'', a Kiss live album and DVD released on August 26, 2016, commemorating the band's November 2014 residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas) during their 40th anniversary tour. In 2020, when asked by
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
writer Greg Prato, "What do you think your legacy will be with Kiss?", Thayer replied, "My legacy will be a guy who came in, worked hard, and was the glue that kept the band together for a long period of time. I think the kind of character and personality that I have is that of a team player and somebody who can bring people together and bind things together."


Signature Epiphone Guitars

Thayer's
Epiphone Les Paul The Epiphone Les Paul is a solid body guitar line produced by Epiphone as a more modestly priced version of the famous Gibson Les Paul. Epiphone is a subsidiary of Gibson Guitar Corporation and manufactures the Les Paul model and other budget mo ...
signature model "Spaceman" guitar was officially released on January 1, 2013. In October, Epiphone announced the first run of 1,000 guitars had sold-out. He uses
Seymour Duncan Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and bass pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in America. Guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and Cathy Carter Duncan found ...
pickups and inspired by
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
, each signature guitar has the neck pickup covered and the bridge uncovered. January 1, 2015, saw the release of Thayer's second
Epiphone Epiphone is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over his f ...
signature model, the "White Lightning" Les Paul. "My new White Lightning signature model is the pinnacle of looks, style and flash,” Thayer stated, “I'm proud to put my name on a serious guitar that can be enjoyed at home or rock the biggest stages in the world." In December 2016 Epiphone announced the 1,500 guitar limited edition run had sold-out.
Epiphone Epiphone is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over his f ...
released the third Tommy Thayer signature model guitar, the "White Lightning" Explorer in Fall 2017. "My Epiphone signature guitars are a tried and true part of my arsenal. I never leave home without 'em!" says Thayer.


Public service and philanthropy

Thayer was elected to the board of trustees at
Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. The university maintains three other campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro, and Wo ...
in Forest Grove, Oregon, in September 2005. He continues to serve on the board in 2019. Through 2006 and 2007, Thayer arranged for new musical instruments to be donated to jump-start ailing school band programs in Oregon. In February 2010, Thayer and Kiss were featured in ABC's '' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' helping a family in need with new instruments for their home-based, non-profit music school. Kiss headlined Rockin' the Corps, an outdoor concert in 2005 at Camp Pendleton, California dedicated to US Marines and US Military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In March 2007, Thayer and Gene Simmons visited the Marines of
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
again with a rally and live performance featuring a medley of the armed forces anthems; it was filmed for an hour-long '' Gene Simmons Family Jewels'' TV special on A&E that aired on
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
2007. Thayer donates all royalties earned from sales of his
Hughes & Kettner Hughes & Kettner is a German manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, cabinets and effects boxes. History The company was founded in Neunkirchen in 1984 by two brothers, Hans and Lothar Stamer, and moved to St. Wendel three years later. It is c ...
signature guitar amplifier to the
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children's hospital in the East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, on Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Vermont Avenue. The hospital has been academically affi ...
to support of the important medical needs of sick and injured children. In 2012, Thayer was actively involved in the organization of the fundraising event "All-Star Salute to the Oregon Military", on May 18 at the Oregon Golf Club in
West Linn, Oregon West Linn is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A southern suburb within the Portland metropolitan area, West Linn developed on the site of the former Linn City, which was named after U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn of Ste. Genevie ...
. The event was the kick-off of the five-year $20 million capital campaign to raise funds in support of the new Oregon Military Museum that will be named in honor of Thayer's father, Brigadier General James B. Thayer Sr. The 2014 "All-Star Salute to the Oregon Military" organized by Thayer, raised $1.2 million in one night for the museum campaign. The exclusive summer party at a private residence in Lake Oswego, Oregon featured an appearance and acoustic set by Kiss. Thayer organized a similar event in 2017, with funds raised being donated to the development of the Oregon Military Museum. In 2016, Thayer along with his brother Jim Thayer Jr and Amy Maxwell, formed the Oregon Military Museum Project (OMMP), a
501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of ...
representing the private fundraising for the Oregon Military Museum. Thayer is currently President of the OMMP. The museum is called "The Brigadier General James B. Thayer Oregon Military Museum." At its May 2018 commencement, Pacific University honored Thayer with an honorary doctorate of humane letters "in recognition of his tremendous career and philanthropic leadership efforts."


Discography


with Black 'n Blue

*'' Black 'N Blue'' (1984) *'' Without Love'' (1985) *'' Nasty Nasty'' (1986) *''
In Heat The estrous cycle (, originally ) is the set of recurring physiological changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian therian females. Estrous cycles start after sexual maturity in females and are interrupted by anestrous p ...
'' (1988)


with Kiss

*'' Hot in the Shade'' (1989) (co-wrote, played electroacoustic guitar on "Betrayed" and "The Street Giveth & the Street Taketh Away") *''
Revenge Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." P ...
'' (1992) (backing vocals) *'' Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions'' (1997) (co-wrote "Childhood's End") *'' Psycho Circus'' (1998) (played all Lead Guitar except for ”Into The Void”, ”In Your Face” & “
You Wanted the Best "You Wanted the Best" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, released on their eighteenth studio album ''Psycho Circus'' in 1998. The song was written by the band's bassist Gene Simmons, and was released as the fourth single off the album ...
”, which was done by original guitarist Ace Frehley) *'' Jigoku-Retsuden'' (2008) *''
Sonic Boom A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to ...
'' (2009) *''
Monster A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'' (2012)


with Thayer-St.James

*''The Lost Tapes'' (2022)


Guest appearances

*
Loverboy Loverboy is a Canadian rock band formed in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. Loverboy's hit singles, particularly " Turn Me Loose" and " Working for the Weekend", have become arena rock staples and are still heard on many classic rock and classic hits ...
– ''
Lovin' Every Minute of It ''Lovin' Every Minute of It'' is the fourth studio album, released in 1985 by the rock band Loverboy. The album became a hit thanks to the title track which reached #9 at US Hot 100, while "This Could Be The Night" was #10, "Dangerous" #65 and "Le ...
'' (1985) (additional backing vocals) * Doro – ''
Doro Doro may refer to: * Doro (musician), rock singer, former vocalist of the German heavy metal band Warlock ** ''Doro'' (album), a 1990 album by Doro * AKA (rapper) (born 1988), South African hip hop recording artist * Dorothy Bush Koch, often calle ...
'' (1990) (played lead, rhythm & acoustic guitars on the album and co-wrote the song “Rock On”)


Filmography


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thayer, Tommy 1960 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists American heavy metal guitarists American rock guitarists American male guitarists Black 'n Blue members Guitarists from Oregon Kiss (band) members Lead guitarists Musicians from Portland, Oregon Sunset High School (Beaverton, Oregon) alumni