Artist Profile

Name: Tommy Ross
Label: Precious Jem Records
Location: Palm Springs CA

Biography:

Growing up in the Hollywood Hills, Tommy learned both the guitar and piano at the early age of 10, but it wasn't until his days as a music major at Los Angeles City College that he began writing songs. Inspired by the huge new wave movement at the time, a series of free concerts at the John Anson Ford amphitheatre during the summer of 1980 with Michael Des Barres, Jamie Sheriff, and Oingo Boingo was the catalyst that made Tommy pick up guitar and pen.

Throughout the 80's and early 90's, Tommy wrote hundreds of songs and performed through his band INNOCENT BYSTANDER, which had several incarnations during the years, recording and performing at famous Hollywood clubs like the Roxy and Whisky on the "fabulous Sunset Strip." In 1992, he recorded a solo album for Zoo Records called "Ghosts In The Firehouse," on which he played every single instrument. Unfortunately, the album was never released due to Tommy's continuing alcohol and drug addictions. After 17 years of alcoholism, in 1995, he hit rock bottom with an arrest for grand theft auto. While in jail, he had a deeply moving spiritual experience, and emerged six months later a new and sober man, and has remained so to this day.

Between 1996 and 2000, Tommy created Christian based music specifically designed to minister to sufferers of alcohol and drug addictions. During that time, he wrote three Christian rock operas that were all performed to standing-room only audiences. Many addicts made pledges of sobriety after the shows.

In 2005, Tommy decided to get back to the musical roots that he loved most, and developed a brand new sound mixing hip-hop and techno beats and patterns with traditional classic rock themes. He built a 24 track digital home studio, wrote new songs and released a CD showcasing this new sound called "Fairly Twisted Logic" Since then, he has released 11 cd’s of new music on his label Precious Jem Records, and written and produced songs for two documentaries. Besides working in the studio and performing live, Tommy hopes to eventually write music for other motion pictures.

Background Information

Date Started Playing: 06/22/1980
Number of Members: 1
Gender of Members: Male

Band Members / Instruments:
Tommy Ross: Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Multi-Instrumentalist

Musical Influences:
Oingo Boingo
Peter Gabriel
rolling stones
The Clash
International Noise Conspiracy
beck
just to name a few

Other

Venues Played:
Whisky, Roxy, Key Club, Viper Room, CAP, and many others.

Most Frequent Venue: Viper Room

Favorite Venue: