Tom DeLonge

Tom DeLonge

Thomas Matthew DeLonge, Jr. (born December 13 1975) is an American musician, most famous for being a founding member of, and guitarist/vocalist in, Blink-182 between 1992 and 2005, when he left the band amid tension with other members. While still a member of Blink-182, he collaborated with former member Travis Barker in the one-off project Box Car Racer in 2002, releasing one self-titled album. Since leaving Blink-182, he formed the supergroup Angels & Airwaves with former members of Hazen Street, The Distillers and The Offspring.

Early years

DeLonge was raised by his mother and father in Poway, California. He has an older brother, Shon, and a younger sister, Kari. Tom was expelled from Poway High School during junior year after being caught drinking at a school basketball game. He went to Rancho Bernardo High School, where he developed an interest in punk rock. Some of his influences have been The Cure, Descendents and Screeching Weasel. When he returned to Poway High School during his senior year, the students voted him Homecoming King, despite the fact he wasn't on the ballot.

Musical career

blink-182 (1992-2005) and Box Car Racer (2002-2003)

When DeLonge attended Rancho Bernardo High School, he was introduced to Mark Hoppus through the latter's sister, Anne. In 1992, they met Scott Raynor and decided to form a band together that would become blink-182. When Raynor was replaced with Travis Barker in 1998 amidst many rumours of Raynor's possible alcoholism and drug addictions, Blink-182 released Enema of the State, which was met with a huge amount of mainstream success, spawning three hit singles. Follow-up Take Off Your Pants and Jacket eventually went to the number one spot on the Billboard 200. After DeLonge and Barker participated in the band Box Car Racer, a side project created by DeLonge with his high-school friend David Kennedy in 2002. In 2003 blink-182 released their final eponymous album. Delonge then decided to leave the band, allegedly due to mounting tensions and communication difficulties, creating a rift between him and the other members of the band. Blink-182 announced an 'indefinite hiatus' in February 2005.

While there is no set plan for Blink 182 to reunite, the band's management commonly responds to questions about the possibility by saying "no one knows what tomorrow may bring". Barker stated in an interview "I guess we are seeing the real Tom", questioning DeLonge's attitude towards his former band, and his new project. DeLonge for his part has said that he would like to eventually reunite blink-182, but not until he continues his career in Angels & Airwaves for a while, because otherwise "it would be a waste of time".

Angels & Airwaves (2005-present)

DeLonge is the lead vocalist and one of two guitarists in the alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves. He formed the band with high-school friend and former Hazen Street and Box Car Racer bandmate David Kennedy on guitar, as well as former The Offspring drummer Adam Willard and former The Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn. They released their debut, We Don't Need to Whisper in 20 May, 2006. During the recording of their second album, I-Empire (November 6, 2007), Ryan Sinn quit and was replaced by former 30 Seconds to Mars bassist Matt Wachter. He still covers blink-182 songs, such as "Down", "I Miss You", "Not Now", and "Reckless Abandon" with Angels & Airwaves, along with Box Car Racer songs "There Is" and "My First Punk Song".

Signature guitars

Fender Guitars worked with DeLonge to create the Tom DeLonge Stratocaster (signature guitar) which consisted of a solid alder body fitted with a single Seymour Duncan Invader Bridge pickup. It was controlled by a lone volume knob adding to its simple design. At first, the Stratocasters were fitted with an American 2-Point tremolo system and was later replaced by a hardtail bridge. Its neck consisted of solid maple with a rosewood fretboard, although there have been some custom Stratocaster's that were fitted with maple fretboards. The necks included a large 70's CBS headstock and Sperzel locking tuners.

Since 2003, with the recording of the untitled album, DeLonge also has a signature Gibson ES-335 guitar out available in brown with cream stripes. The Tom DeLonge Signature starts with Gibsons classic semi-hollowbody design and then extents it into punk rock with an overwound 'Dirty Fingers' humbucking pickup. Its thick, distorted tone is the signature sound of DeLonge's previous band Blink-182.

In Angels and Airwaves albums, We Don't Need to Whisper and I-Empire Tom uses his signature Gibson ES-335 which is custom made from the Gibson custom shop

Personal life

DeLonge lives with his wife Jennifer, daughter Ava Elizabeth (born July 15 2002), son Jonas Rocket (born on August 16 2006), German Shepard Grey, and Labrador Retriever Chloe in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election as a Democrat. In an interview with absolutepunk.net he also named Barack Obama as his ideal presidential candidate, although he also said "Hillary [Clinton] will actually do very well."[1]

He is the owner of Macbeth Footwear, which he founded together with Mark Hoppus and a friend, although he now runs the company without Hoppus. He has sold his share in Atticus Clothing, which he also started with Hoppus.

Other Accomplishments

Tom directed the video for Taking Back Sunday's song "This Photograph is Proof" in 2004.

Discography

Blink-182

Tom DeLonge (foreground) with blink-182 in 2003 playing for Iraqi stationed soldiers

• Flyswatter (1992) vocals, guitar
• Buddha (1993) vocals, guitar
• Cheshire Cat (1994) vocals, guitar
• Dude Ranch (1997) vocals, guitar
• Enema of the State (1999) vocals, guitar
• The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!) (2000) vocals, guitar
• Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) vocals, guitar
• Blink-182 (2003) vocals, guitar
• Greatest Hits (2005) vocals, guitar

Box Car Racer

• Box Car Racer (2002) vocals, guitar, bass

Angels & Airwaves

• We Don't Need to Whisper (2006) vocals, guitar
• I-Empire (2007) vocals, guitar

External links

• Angels & Airwaves
• Box Car Racer
• Blink-182
• Loserkids Online Store
• Atticus Clothing
• Macbeth Footwear
• Angels & Airwaves Fan Community