TOMMY THAYER

Thomas Cunningham Thayer (born November 7, 1960) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist and a vocalist for the hard rock band Kiss, a role he has held since 2002. He was also the 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,[2] and his father, James Thayer (1922–2018), was a businessman, community leader and retired US Army Brigadier General.

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 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.

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.

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.