TOM HAMILTON Biography - Musicians

 
 

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TOM HAMILTON

Name: Tom Hamilton                                                                     
Also known as Thomas William Hamilton                                                 
Born: 31 December 1951 Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.                               
                                                                                       
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.