1. Thomas Richard Bolin was an American rock guitarist who played with Zephyr, the James Gang, and Deep Purple, in addition to maintaining a career as a solo artist and session musician.
24 Facts About Tommy Bolin
1. 2.
Tommy Bolin was born in Sioux City, Iowa; he began playing with a band called the Miserlous before he was asked to join another band called Denny and the Triumphs in 1964 at age 13.
3.
Tommy Bolin moved to Boulder, Colorado in his late teens and then played in a band called American Standard before joining Ethereal Zephyr, a band named after the California Zephyr train which ran between Oakland and Chicago.
4.
In 1972, the 20-year old Tommy Bolin formed the fusion jazz-rock-blues band Energy.
5.
Tommy Bolin briefly reunited with David and Candy Givens in a band called the 4-Nikators, after which he took nearly a year off from music.
6.
Tommy Bolin recorded two albums: Bang in 1973 and Miami in 1974; Except for one song on Bang, Bolin wrote or co-wrote every song on these two albums.
7.
Tommy Bolin went on to do session work for numerous rock bands and with a number of jazz artists including Alphonse Mouzon's album Mind Transplant, considered "easily one of the best fusion recordings of all time" by AllMusic reviewer Robert Taylor.
8.
Tommy Bolin toured with Carmine Appice and the Good Rats.
9.
At the start of 1975, Tommy Bolin was a guest studio guitarist for Canadian band Moxy during the recording of their debut album, on which Tommy Bolin contributed guitar solos for six songs.
10.
Later in 1975, Tommy Bolin signed with Nemperor records to record a solo album.
11.
Tommy Bolin was encouraged and coached by the Beach Boys to perform his own vocals on this album as well.
12.
David Coverdale had been listening to the Billy Cobham LP Spectrum, on which Tommy Bolin was lead guitarist for four songs.
13.
Tommy Bolin decided he wanted Bolin in Deep Purple, and invited him over for a jam.
14.
Tommy Bolin jammed with the band for four hours and the job was his.
15.
Tommy Bolin wrote or co-wrote seven of the record's nine tracks, including the instrumental "Owed to G", which was a tribute to George Gershwin.
16.
Tommy Bolin played terribly, he was just so unhappy to be responded to like this.
17.
One such concert in Tokyo came after Tommy Bolin had passed out and fell asleep on his left arm for eight hours.
18.
The Tommy Bolin Band had a rotating cast of players which included Narada Michael Walden, Mark Stein, Norma Jean Bell, Reggie McBride, Jimmy Haslip, Max Carl Gronenthal and eventually Bolin's younger brother, Johnnie Bolin, on drums.
19.
Tommy Bolin posed for his last photo, sitting backstage with Beck after the show, which appeared in Rolling Stone.
20.
Hours later, Tommy Bolin died from an overdose of heroin and other substances, including alcohol, cocaine, and barbiturates.
21.
Tommy Bolin is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa.
22.
Tommy Bolin's maternal grandfather Abraham "Abe" Joseph was a recording musician in Lebanon before immigrating to the US.
23.
The Tommy Bolin estate has about 15 records of his grandfather in the safe vault.
24.
Tommy Bolin had two younger brothers: Johnnie, and Rick.