| | |

Tom Morello

By Paul Greig

Tom Morello

Thomas Baptiste Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, actor, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. As of 2016, Morello is a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage.

Playlist

3 Videos

Tom Morello was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. He is also known for his acoustic solo act, the Nightwatchman, and Street Sweeper Social Club. Morello also co-founded Axis of Justice, which airs a monthly program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles.

Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Libertyville, Illinois, Morello became interested in music and politics while in high school. He attended Harvard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies. After his previous band Locks Up disbanded, Morello met Zack de la Rocha. The two founded Rage Against the Machine together, going on to become one of the most popular and influential rock acts of the 1990s.

He is best known for his unique and creative guitar playing style, which incorporates feedback noise, unconventional picking, and tapping, as well as heavy use of guitar effects. Morello is also known for his leftist political views and activism; creating the Nightwatchman offered an outlet for his views while playing apolitical music with Audioslave. He was ranked number 40 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

Biographies on Tom Morello

Whatever It Takes : Autobiography

As the co-founder of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage, and as a collaborator with rock legends from Bruce Springsteen to Johnny Cash, few musicians have been as groundbreaking as Tom Morello. Now, for the first time, Morello describes his remarkable life as a guitarist, songwriter, singer, and political activist in the ultimate book of his career, Whatever It Takes.

Similar Posts

  • | | |

    Jason Richardson

    By Paul Greig

    Jason Richardson Jason Richardson (born July 30, 1991) is an American heavy metal guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and teacher. Known for a highly original, deeply technical style on seven- and eight-string guitars, he began establishing his reputation when he joined All Shall Perish as a high-school student. Playlist 3 Videos Titan 4:58 All That Remains 4:13…

  • | | |

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe

    By Paul Greig

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and recording artist. She attained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and rhythmic accompaniment that was a precursor of rock and roll. Playlist 3…

  • | | |

    Jackie Venson

    By Paul Greig

    Jackie Venson Jackie Venson is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Austin, Texas. In April 2014, Venson entered the Modern Southern Music Competition and won a headlining spot on the Belk Summer Tour. She opened for country artists Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and James Taylor. She has also performed at the Austin Urban Music Festival….

  • | | | |

    Molly Tuttle

    By Paul Greig

    Molly Tuttle Molly Tuttle (born 1993) is a vocalist, songwriter, banjo player, and guitarist, recording artist and teacher in the bluegrass tradition, noted for her Flatpicking, clawhammer, and crosspicking guitar prowess. She has cited Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, and Hazel Dickens as role models. Playlist 3 Videos Molly Tuttle Bluegrass Guitar Lesson 8:51 Molly Tuttle…

  • | | |

    Muddy Waters

    By Paul Greig

    Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913  – April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who is often cited as the “father of modern Chicago blues”, and an important figure on the post-war blues scene. His style of playing has been described as “raining down Delta beatitude”….

Leave a Reply