Tom DeLonge
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2008-07-14T21:00:59Z
Philkon
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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Tom DeLonge
| Img = Tom DeLonge 2004.jpg
| Img_capt = Tom DeLonge in 2004
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Thomas Matthew DeLonge, Jr.
| Born = {{Birth date and age|1975|12|13}}
| Died =
| Origin = [[Poway, California]]
| Instrument = [[Guitar]]<br />[[Vocals]]<br />[[Bass guitar|Bass]] ([[Box Car Racer]] only)
| Genre = [[Pop punk]]<br />[[Punk rock]]<br />[[Alternative rock]]<br />[[Post-hardcore]]
| Occupation = [[Musician]], [[Vocalist]], [[Songwriter]], [[Guitarist]]
| Years_active = 1992–present
| Label = [[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
| Associated_acts = [[Blink-182]]<br />[[Angels & Airwaves]]<br />[[Box Car Racer]] <br />
| URL =
| Notable_instruments = [[Fender Stratocaster]]<br />[[Gibson Les Paul]]<br />[[Gibson_Tom_DeLonge_Signature_ES-335#Tom_Delonge_Signature|Gibson Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333]]<br>[[Tom DeLonge Stratocaster]]
}}
[[Image:TomDeLongeByPhilKonstantin.jpg|thumb|Tom DeLonge, 2008]]
'''Thomas Matthew DeLonge, Jr.''' (born [[December 13]] [[1975]]) is an [[United States|American]] musician, most famous for being a founding member of, and [[guitarist]]/[[vocalist]] in, [[Blink-182]] between 1992 and 2005, when he left the band amid tension with other members. While still a member of [[Blink-182]], he collaborated with former member [[Travis Barker]] in the one-off project [[Box Car Racer]] in 2002, releasing one [[Box Car Racer (album)|self-titled]] album. Since leaving Blink-182, he formed the [[supergroup]] [[Angels & Airwaves]] with former members of [[Hazen Street]], [[The Distillers]] and [[The Offspring]].
==Early years==
DeLonge was raised by his mother and father in [[Poway, California]]. He has an older brother, Shon, and a younger sister, Kari. Tom was expelled from [[Poway High School]] during junior year after being caught drinking at a school basketball game. He went to [[Rancho Bernardo High School]], where he developed an interest in [[punk rock]]. Some of his influences have been [[The Cure]], [[Descendents (band)| Descendents]] and [[Screeching Weasel]]. When he returned to Poway High School during his senior year, the students voted him Homecoming King, despite the fact he wasn't on the ballot.
==Musical career==
===blink-182 (1992-2005) and Box Car Racer (2002-2003)===
When DeLonge attended Rancho Bernardo High School, he was introduced to [[Mark Hoppus]] through the latter's sister, Anne. In 1992, they met [[Scott Raynor]] and decided to form a band together that would become blink-182. When Raynor was replaced with [[Travis Barker]] in 1998 amidst many rumours of Raynor's possible [[alcoholism]] and [[drug addictions]]{{Fact|date=February 2008}}, Blink-182 released ''[[Enema of the State]]'', which was met with a huge amount of mainstream success, spawning three hit singles. Follow-up ''[[Take Off Your Pants and Jacket]]'' eventually went to the number one spot on the [[Billboard 200]]. After DeLonge and Barker participated in the band [[Box Car Racer]], a side project created by DeLonge with his high-school friend [[David Kennedy (guitarist)|David Kennedy]] in 2002. In 2003 blink-182 released their final [[Blink-182 (album)|eponymous]] album. Delonge then decided to leave the band, allegedly due to mounting tensions and communication difficulties, creating a rift between him and the other members of the band. Blink-182 announced an 'indefinite hiatus' in [[February 2005]].
While there is no set plan for Blink 182 to reunite, the band's management commonly responds to questions about the possibility by saying "no one knows what tomorrow may bring".<ref>[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1497320/20050222/blink_182.jhtml Blink-182 Announce 'Indefinite Hiatus' - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Barker stated in an interview "I guess we are seeing the real Tom", questioning DeLonge's attitude towards his former band, and his new project. DeLonge for his part has said that he would like to eventually reunite blink-182, but not until he continues his career in Angels & Airwaves for a while, because otherwise "it would be a waste of time". In a later interview, Delonge confirmed that "blink 182 was dead" and "...people ask me if I'm ever going back to Blink, there's just no possible way".<ref>[http://www.buzznet.com/musicnews/tom-delonge-blink-182-reunion-j2500141/ Tom DeLonge on Blink-182 Reunion Possibility: 'There's Just No Possible Way'] [[Buzznet|www.buzznet.com]] - [[12 June]] [[2008]]</ref>
===Angels & Airwaves (2005-present)===
DeLonge is the lead vocalist and one of two guitarists in the alternative rock band [[Angels & Airwaves]]. He formed the band with high-school friend and former Hazen Street and Box Car Racer bandmate [[David Kennedy (guitarist)|David Kennedy]] on guitar, as well as former [[The Offspring]] drummer [[Adam Willard]] and former [[The Distillers]] bassist [[Ryan Sinn]]. They released their debut, ''[[We Don't Need to Whisper]]'' in [[20 May]], [[2006]]. During the recording of their second album, ''[[I-Empire]]'' ([[November 6]], [[2007]]), Ryan Sinn quit and was replaced by former [[30 Seconds to Mars]] bassist [[Matt Wachter]]. He still covers blink-182 songs, such as "[[Down (Blink-182 song)|Down]]", "[[I Miss You (Blink-182 song)|I Miss You]]", "[[Not Now]]", and "Reckless Abandon" with Angels & Airwaves, along with Box Car Racer songs "[[There Is]]" and "My First Punk Song".
===Signature guitars===
[[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender Guitars]] worked with DeLonge to create the [[Tom DeLonge Stratocaster]] (signature guitar) which consisted of a solid alder body fitted with a single Seymour Duncan Invader Bridge pickup. It was controlled by a lone volume knob adding to its simple design. At first, the Stratocasters were fitted with an American 2-Point tremolo system and was later replaced by a hardtail bridge. Its neck consisted of solid maple with a rosewood fretboard, although there have been some custom Stratocaster's that were fitted with maple fretboards. The necks included a large 70's CBS headstock and Sperzel locking tuners.<ref>[http://www.epinions.com/content_183158214276 Epinions.com - Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Fender Tom Delonge Stratocaster with Gig Bag 013-8200 at Epinions.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Since 2003, with the recording of the ''[[Blink-182 (album)|untitled]]'' album, DeLonge also has a signature Gibson ES-335 guitar out available in brown with cream stripes. The Tom DeLonge Signature starts with Gibsons classic semi-hollowbody design and then extents it into punk rock with an overwound 'Dirty Fingers' humbucking pickup. Its thick, distorted tone is the signature sound of DeLonge's previous band Blink-182.<ref>[http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/classic/tomdelonge.html Tom DeLonge Signature<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In [[Angels and Airwaves]] albums, [[We Don't Need to Whisper]] and [[I-Empire]] Tom uses his signature [[Gibson_Tom_DeLonge_Signature_ES-335#Tom_Delonge_Signature|Gibson ES-333]] which is custom made from the Gibson custom shop
==Personal life==
DeLonge lives with his wife Jennifer, daughter Ava Elizabeth (born [[July 15]] [[2002]]), son Jonas Rocket (born on [[August 16]] [[2006]]), [[German Shepard]] Grey, and [[Labrador Retriever]] Chloe in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He supported [[John Kerry]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]] as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<!--Tom never sayed any explicit comments about George W. Bush, he just questioned the war in Iraq-->
In an interview with absolutepunk.net he also named [[Barack Obama]] as his ideal presidential candidate, although he also said "[[Hillary Rodham Clinton|Hillary]] [Clinton] will actually do very well."[http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=290928]
He is the owner of [[Macbeth Athletics|Macbeth Footwear]], which he founded together with [[Mark Hoppus]] and a friend, although he now runs the company without Hoppus. He has sold his share in [[Atticus Clothing]], which he also started with Hoppus.
==Other Accomplishments==
Tom directed the video for Taking Back Sunday's song "This Photograph is Proof" in 2004.<ref>[http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1493263/20041029/taking_back_sunday.jhtml Blink-182's Tom DeLonge Directs Video - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Discography==
===Blink-182===
[[Image:Blink182.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Tom DeLonge (foreground) with blink-182 in 2003 playing for Iraqi stationed soldiers]]
*''[[Flyswatter (album)|Flyswatter]]'' (1992) vocals, guitar
*''[[Buddha (album)|Buddha]]'' (1993) vocals, guitar
*''[[Cheshire Cat (album)|Cheshire Cat]]'' (1994) vocals, guitar
*''[[Dude Ranch (album)|Dude Ranch]]'' (1997) vocals, guitar
*''[[Enema of the State]]'' (1999) vocals, guitar
*''[[The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!)]]'' (2000) vocals, guitar
*''[[Take Off Your Pants and Jacket]]'' (2001) vocals, guitar
*''[[blink-182 (album)|Blink-182]]'' (2003) vocals, guitar
*''[[Greatest Hits (Blink-182 album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (2005) vocals, guitar
===Box Car Racer===
*''[[Box Car Racer (album)|Box Car Racer]]'' (2002) vocals, guitar, bass
===Angels & Airwaves===
*''[[We Don't Need to Whisper]]'' (2006) vocals, guitar
*''[[I-Empire]]'' (2007) vocals, guitar
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.angelsandairwaves.com Angels & Airwaves]
*[http://www.boxcarracer.com Box Car Racer]
*[http://www.blink182.com Blink-182]
*[http://www.loserkids.com Loserkids Online Store]
*[http://www.atticus-clothing.com Atticus Clothing]
*[http://www.macbethfootwear.com/07/ Macbeth Footwear]
{{Angels and Airwaves}}
{{Blink-182}}
{{Box Car Racer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delonge, Tom}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:American punk rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American rock singers]]
[[Category:American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American songwriters]]
[[Category:California musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Punk-pop singers]]
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