Tom Morello

Early Life

Tom Morello was born on May 30th, 1964 in New York City. He grew up in Libertyville, Illinois. He lived in Libertyville most of his life and attended Libertyville High School where he sang in the school chorus and was in the speech and drama club. He became interestd in politics early.

At 13, Tom joined a Led Zeppelin cover band as lead singer. At the same age, Tom purchased his first guitar at Rigoni Music in Libertyville. He wanted a solid-body Ovation guitar, but he didn't have enough money to buy one. Instead, he purchased a Kay guitar. He wanted to learn how to play Black Dog by Led Zeppelin, so he took two guitar lessons but was first taught how to tune his guitar and the C Major Scale so he put his guitar in his closet for three years.

He heard a song by the Sex Pistols and he thought that he might be able to channel his feelings and political ideas through a guitar too so he learned how to play again. At 20. he first started studying the guitar seriously. He had formed a band in the same year called the Electric Sheep which included future Tool guitarist, Adam Jones on bass. Few of the Sheep could really play an instrument at first, but the band was for Tom to start honing his skills. Instead of performing cover songs, Sheep wrote their own songs that included politically charged lyrics. None of their songs contained solos.

Toms musical tastes were heavy metal, mostly Kiss, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Later, his music and politics were greatly influenced by punk rock bands like The Clash, the Sex Pistols and Devo.

He went to Harvard University, where he majored in Political Science. This is when he practiced at least 8 hours a day. After all his Harvard friends left to become doctors and lawyers, Tom went to Los Angeles, that's where everyone said that you had to go to form a rock band.

Going to L.A. with nothing, no friends he started his rock career. He started to play with many unsuccesful bands. He started teaching guitar to get along.