TOMMY LEE
Name: Thomas Lee Bass
Born: 3 October 1962 Athens, Greece
Tommy Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass on October 3, 1962) is a Greek American and
Welsh American Heavy Metal musician. He is best known as the drummer for hard
rock/heavy metal band Matley Crue and ex-husband of actresses Pamela Anderson
and Heather Locklear.
Lee was born in Athens, Greece. His mother, Vassiliki "Voula" Papadimitriou, was
Miss Greece in 1957, and his father was David Lee Thomas Bass, a US Army
serviceman of Welsh extraction. He has one younger sister, Athena Kottak (b.
1964), who is currently the drummer of KrunK. His family moved to California a
year after his birth. Lee received his first drum when he was four. However he
received his first real drum kit when he was a teenager. At that time, he was
listening to Kiss, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest. After
transferring from South Hills High School; he joined the marching band at Royal
Oak High School in Covina, California, but dropped out of school in his senior
year to focus on his musical career. His first successful band Suite 19 played
the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles during the late 70s. At this time he met future
bandmate, Nikki Sixx. Casually, Sixx was forming a theatrical band that would
specialize in anthemic heavy metal, and was impressed by Lee's playing. Sixx,
Lee and Leon started jamming together, but Leon decided not to continue. At this
time, he changed his name to Tommy Lee and earned the nickname "T-bone" from
Sixx. He got this nickname due to his tall 6ft 2 a inch (189cm) skinny physique.
Shortly afterwards, guitarist Mick Mars joined the band. Mars recommended a
singer Tommy met at high school, Vince Neil, who soon joined the group, and the
infamous Matley Crue was formed.
Name: Thomas Lee Bass
Born: 3 October 1962 Athens, Greece
Tommy Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass on October 3, 1962) is a Greek American and
Welsh American Heavy Metal musician. He is best known as the drummer for hard
rock/heavy metal band Matley Crue and ex-husband of actresses Pamela Anderson
and Heather Locklear.
Lee was born in Athens, Greece. His mother, Vassiliki "Voula" Papadimitriou, was
Miss Greece in 1957, and his father was David Lee Thomas Bass, a US Army
serviceman of Welsh extraction. He has one younger sister, Athena Kottak (b.
1964), who is currently the drummer of KrunK. His family moved to California a
year after his birth. Lee received his first drum when he was four. However he
received his first real drum kit when he was a teenager. At that time, he was
listening to Kiss, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest. After
transferring from South Hills High School; he joined the marching band at Royal
Oak High School in Covina, California, but dropped out of school in his senior
year to focus on his musical career. His first successful band Suite 19 played
the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles during the late 70s. At this time he met future
bandmate, Nikki Sixx. Casually, Sixx was forming a theatrical band that would
specialize in anthemic heavy metal, and was impressed by Lee's playing. Sixx,
Lee and Leon started jamming together, but Leon decided not to continue. At this
time, he changed his name to Tommy Lee and earned the nickname "T-bone" from
Sixx. He got this nickname due to his tall 6ft 2 a inch (189cm) skinny physique.
Shortly afterwards, guitarist Mick Mars joined the band. Mars recommended a
singer Tommy met at high school, Vince Neil, who soon joined the group, and the
infamous Matley Crue was formed.