Thommy Price has passed away.
Price was born on November 9, 1956 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He began playing drums at the age of 16. He toured and/or recorded with the following artists: Scandal, Billy Idol, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Patty Smyth, Love Crushed Velvet, Mink DeVille, The Waterboys, Debbie Harry, Roger Daltrey, Ric Okasek, Blue Öyster Cult, The Psychedelic Furs, Ron Wood, Steve Lukather, John Waite, Sylvester, Cycle Sluts From Hell, Michael Monroe, Steve Stevens, and many more.
Here are some tributes from former collaborators and industry friends:
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: We lost a member of the Blackheart family – the one of a kind Thommy Price. Thommy was a legendary drummer who was a Blackheart for 4 decades. He was a drummer’s drummer and admired by so many. Our hearts are heavy. Sending love to his beautiful family. We love you Thommy.
Billy Idol: Very sad to hear of Thommy Price’s passing yesterday. My condolences to his wife Stefunny, his daughter Brooklyn and the many friends, family and collaborators that knew and loved him.
Thommy was a fantastic musician and drummer who, in 1983, came in at the last minute and put his definitive stamp on my Rebel Yell album. He helped us to bring it to an incredible finish and toured with us on the Rebel Yell and Whiplash Smile tours. He also spent many years playing with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. Thommy was a friend as well as musical compatriot who brought immense talent and heart to everything he did. And I will miss him. Rock On Thommy.
Love,
Billy
Love Crushed Velvet: Felt like I got punched in the gut by the news about Thommy Price’s passing. I first met Thommy in 2008, after I’d taken a long hiatus from music. Many of my old contacts had dried up, collaborators had moved away and my fan base was scattered. I’d stayed away too long and was no longer a young kid who could just drop everything and start up again from scratch. I had just finished a solo album with the great Sammy Merendino and needed a band to gig with. I’d always admired Thommy‘s work with Billy Idol – whose music I loved and which formed part of the soundtrack to my life for some of my teenage years. When I started looking for a drummer for my live band and three different people had brought up Thommy‘s name within a several day period, it seemed preordained that we were going to play together, even though we had not really known each other outside of some brief exchanges over the years. Thommy heard the new record and signed on before he got halfway through it – the stamp of approval from a rock ‘n’ roll giant that I needed to kickstart my reentry into music.
What many people don’t realize is that the most important band member for a singer is the drummer. The rhythm is what you lock your voice around, and when I would get on stage with Thommy, there was never any doubt that he would give exactly what I needed so that I could fully focus on fronting the band. His timing never drifted and he played off the singer as well as anyone I’ve ever known. He drummed on the first Love Crushed Velvet album and helped cement the band’s foundational identity, a large part of which has carried through to this day. Even though we were not rock ‘n’ roll kids anymore, we still had a blast tearing through the New York club circuit and relishing the feeling of riding the wave of a new band. While still having some goofy moments that neither of us would necessarily want to publicize.
Thommy is someone that I will be eternally grateful towards and always proud of having been able to work with and being accepted as a creative peer. Rock on forever, my friend.
Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Joe Lynn Turner, Mr Big): This legend has left the building. I’m so sad to hear about the passing of my drum brother Thommy Price. He’s one of a few drummers that defined rock ‘n’ roll drumming for me. My drumming is better because I listened to Thommy. I’m grateful that we got to spend some time together and I got to share my gratitude with him. He was kind, sweet and cool AF till the end. There will never be another. My condolences to his wife, daughter, friends and all his fans.
Ed Stasium (record producer and sound engineer): Thommy Price has left the planet. Rest easy, my friend. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.
John DeChristopher (long-time drum industry manager, creator and host of the Live From My Drum Room podcast): There are a lot of drummers who can lay down “2&4” with conviction and a great feel, but no one did it like Thommy Price. Listen to Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” and you’ll understand what I mean. Or any of the songs he recorded with Joan Jett and Scandal. And what a sound. My deepest condolences to Thommy’s family and all in his circle. Rest In Peace, Thommy.
