Tom Hamilton (musician)
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| Tom Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Thomas William Hamilton |
| Born | December 31, 1951 Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Hard rock Blues-rock |
| Instrument(s) | Bass, Guitar |
| Years active | 1972 - Present |
| Label(s) | Columbia Geffen |
| Associated acts | Aerosmith |
| Website | Official Aerosmith Website |
Thomas William Hamilton (born December 31, 1951, in Colorado Springs, Colorado) is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the band Aerosmith. He began playing guitar at the age of twelve, then switched to bass because the only local band needed a bassist. He co-wrote three of Aerosmith's hits, "Sweet Emotion" (perhaps most noted for the bass line), "Janie's Got a Gun and "Jaded." He plays rhythm guitar on another song he co-wrote, "Sick as a Dog" and also co-wrote "Uncle Salty" from Toys in the Attic.
According to Aerosmith.com, Hamilton's favorite song by the band is "The Farm" (from the 1997 album Nine Lives). He married Terry Cohen in 1975 and they have two children. Hamilton was the last member of the band to come clean of his drug addictions, having smoked marijuana up to the recording of Permanent Vacation.
In August 2006, he announced that he was diagnosed with throat cancer and completed a seven-week course of radiation and chemotherapy. He was forced to miss Aerosmith's Route of All Evil Tour. David Hull (who has played in The Joe Perry Project) filled in for Hamilton. Hamilton had never previously missed an Aerosmith show. He joined the band for the performance of "Sweet Emotion" at their Boston show in September 2006, and at the private show at the Beacon Theatre in New York, on December 3, 2006, where he reclaimed his place with the band for the entire performance.
Hamilton is the tallest member of the band at 6'1". He is also the "funny one" of Aerosmith, always looking for chances to make jokes in interviews and also being one of the bigger talkers at interviews.
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[edit] Family
Hamilton was born to George and Betty Hamilton, in the town of Wayland, MA. He has an older brother named Scott, an older sister named Perry, and a younger sister named Cecily. His father was in the Air Force and his mother was a housewife. Tom first learned to play guitar from his brother, who got his first guitar when Tom was four years old.
[edit] Pre-Aerosmith/Making of Aerosmith
Hamilton first started playing guitar when he was 12 and switched to bass when he was 14 to join a local band. Hamilton was in a band with soon-to-be Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. The band was simply called "The Jam Band". The band was broken up but Hamilton and Perry both moved to Boston to start another band and met Steven Tyler and a local club called "The Barn" Tyler's band also broke up and the three joined together. The three became a power trio with Hamilton on bass, Perry on guitar, and Tyler on drums and vocals. Then Ray Tabano joined and eventually Joey Kramer joined in replacing Tyler on drums so he could focus on vocals. Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford and Aerosmith was born.
[edit] Acting
Hamilton was accepted into two acting schools.
[edit] Aerosmith 1970-present day
On December 20, 2006, Tom reported on AeroForceOne.com that he is cancer-free after a recent PET scan.
[edit] Role in the Band
Hamilton occasionally plays guitar and sings backing vocals.
[edit] Songs Written
- "Uncle Salty" from Toys In The Attic
- "Sweet Emotion" from Toys In The Attic
- "Sick as a Dog" from Rocks
- "Critical Mass" from Draw the Line
- "Kings and Queens" from Draw the Line
- "The Hand that Feeds" from Draw the Line
- "The Reason a Dog" from Done With Mirrors
- "The Hop" from Done With Mirrors
- "The Movie" from Permanent Vacation
- "Janie's Got a Gun" from Pump
[edit] Awards
- 2007 - Boston Music Award - Personal Achievement
[edit] External links
- Tom Hamilton at the Internet Movie Database
- Aerosmith.com
- Tom Hamilton's letter to the fans about his cancer and the tour
- Hamilton's back in the saddle again
- Hamilton treated for throat cancer
