What is Tommy Thayer’s Net Worth?
Tommy Thayer is an American musician who has a net worth of $12 million. Tommy Thayer is best known for being the lead guitarist and vocalist for the hard rock band Kiss from 2002 to 2023. Tommy replaced Ace Frehley and co-wrote 10 songs for the Kiss’ 2012 album “Monster.” Tommy Thayer also played with the band Black ‘n Blue throughout the 1980s. He has also collaborated with Epiphone Les Paul on three signature guitars which were sold as limited releases.
Early Life
Tommy Thayer was born on November 7, 1960 in Portland, Oregon and grew up in the nearby suburb of Beaverton, Oregon. He was born to Patricia and James Thayer. His mother was a classically trained violinist and singer while his father was a businessman and retired US Army Brigadier General. Thayer was raised with three brothers and a sister in a musical family and exposed to many different types of music from a young age. He began learning how to play the electric guitar at age 13. After he graduated from Sunset High School in 1978, he played in local garage and club bands. He eventually formed his own group with singer Jaime St. James which eventually took the name Black ‘n Blue.
Career
Black ‘n Blue formed in November 1981 and played shows around the Portland area for over a year before moving to Southern California in early 1983. The band landed a recording contract with Geffen Records within six months. In early 1984, the band traveled to Germany to work with Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks and released the album “Black ‘n Blue” in August. They released a follow-up album called “Without Love” in 1985. The band then toured as an opening act for Kiss and hired Kiss bassist, Gene Simmons, to produce the band’s next studio album, “Nasty Nasty,” released in 1986. Black ‘n Blue released another album, “In Heat” in 1988, and then broke up later that year. Some of the members of the band, including Thayer, periodically reunited over the years to play one-off reunion and benefit concerts. In 2010, the band was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in Portland, with Thayer attending along with the other former members of the band.
In 1989, Thayer co-wrote songs with Gene Simmons and played as a session musician on guitar demos for Kiss’ 1989 “Hot in the Shade.” He also co-produced and played guitar on Doro Presch’s 1991 release, “Doro.” In 1992, he joined the rock band Shake the Faith and recorded the album “America the Violent.”
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In 1994, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley hired Thayer to work part-time on their book “Kisstory,” which later led to other projects and eventually a full-time role with Kiss. In 1995, he managed the Worldwide Kiss Convention Tour and the Kiss “MTV Unplugged” concert. Over the next few years, he continued working closely with the band in various roles. In 2002, with the growing uncertainty of guitarist Ace Frehley’s involvement with the band, Thayer stood by for a Kiss performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony. One month later, Thayer filled in for Frehley onstage with Kiss at a private concert in Trelawny, Jamaica which was the first time he wore the full Kiss Spaceman ensemble.
After the performance in Jamaica, Thayer became the lead guitarist for Kiss in 2003. Over the next few years, he performed consistently with Kiss. He co-wrote three songs on the “Sonic Boom” album, the first Kiss studio album in 11 years. He also has his own lead vocal debut on “When Lightning Strikes.” In 2012, Kiss released the studio album “Monster.” Thayer co-wrote 10 songs and sang lead vocal on “Outta This World.” Thayer also produced “Kiss Rocks Vegas,” a Kiss live album and DVD released in August 2016.
Since joining Kiss, Thayer has collaborated with Epiphone Les Paul to make a signature model “Spaceman” guitar in January 2013. In January 2015, Epiphone released a second signature model, the “White Lightning” Les Paul. In 2017, a third signature guitar was released called “White Lightning” Explorer.
(Photo by Neil Lupin/Redferns)
Personal Life
In 2006, Thayer married Amber Peek. They couple announced later they were separating after years together, though they have not been divorced. In March 2021, the guitarist announced via Instagram he had connected with his daughter, Sierra. Reportedly, he had not previously known he had a daughter but the two connected the summer of 2020 and got to know each other and have since developed and maintained a relationship.
Thayer has also devoted much of his personal time and life to public service and philanthropy. Thayer was elected to the board of trustees at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Through 2006 and 2007, Thayer arranged for new musical instruments to be donated to jump-start ailing school band programs in Oregon. He also donates all royalties from sales of one of his signature guitars to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In 2014, he organized the All-Star Salute to the Oregon Military in which he raised over one million dollars for a museum. In 2016, Thayer formed the Oregon Military Museum Program, a 501(c)(3) organization representing the private fundraising for the Oregon Military Museum.
Lake Sherwood Mansion
In 2008 Tommy paid $1.8 million for a mansion in Lake Sherwood, California. He sold this home in October 2020 for $2.7 million.
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