Keene graduated from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland (class of 1976), which was also the Alma Mater of fellow famed musician Nils Lofgren, who went on to play and record with Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. Tommy played drums in one version of Nils's early bands. Keene then attended the University of Maryland.
Musical Career
Keene first received critical acclaim with his pioneering pop band The Razz, who released several local independent singles. His 1984 EP Places That Are Gone became one of the year's top selling independent releases.[The EP garnered a four-star review in Rolling Stone, and was voted the #1 EP in the following year's Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll. Keene has since recorded and released numerous albums on such labels as Dolphin, Geffen and Matador Records. He has worked with producers T-Bone Burnett, Don Dixon, and R. Walt Vincent. He continues to record and tour and recently released an album with Robert Pollard, formerly of Guided by Voices, as 'The Keene Brothers.' Tommy's three favorite bands are The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. Keene also played guitar on the Goo Goo Dolls' hit song, "Broadway", on their 1998 album, Dizzy Up The Girl.
Keene released his ninth original studio album, Behind The Parade, with Second Motion Records in 2011. This was the fourth release with members of the label as founder Stephen Judge also signed and released Keene's two disc retrospective Tommy Keene: You Hear Me in 2010 and his previous release, Crashing The Ether, in 2006 on his Eleven Thirty Records, while serving as A&R Director and General Manager at Redeye Distribution.
For me, he was one of the unsung greats, and one of the few 80's acts that really holds up today. His most recent work is excellent, so I think he would have had a lot of great music left in him.
I saw him many times in DC, even met him once in of all places - the men's room in the old 9;30 club. Definitely the most unassuming rock and roller you ever could hope to meet.
My wife and her sister both went to Walter Johnson High School and were classmates of Nils and Tommy and my wife went to Maryland as well.
This is too close to home for me - RIP Tommy, loved all of your music and your live sets...
I saw him many times in DC, even met him once in of all places - the men's room in the old 9;30 club. Definitely the most unassuming rock and roller you ever could hope to meet.
My wife and her sister both went to Walter Johnson High School and were classmates of Nils and Tommy and my wife went to Maryland as well.
This is too close to home for me - RIP Tommy, loved all of your music and your live sets...
I can imagine how your wife feels. Give her a big hug (for all of us) tonight.
One of my many favorites. I think what really got to me about Tommy Keene's music was that it seemed like even when he was really rocking out there was a big heart driving it all. I'm sure gonna miss him.
A very gifted man who deserved so much more recognition than he ever got. Rest well, Tommy.
Wow, first time hearing this song? He was pretty talented.
RIP
_________________ I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air,
they fly so high,
nearly reach the sky,
then like my dreams,
they fade and die.
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked everywhere,
I'm forever blowing bubbles,
pretty bubbles in the air.
UNITED! UNITED!
West Ham United fight song.
Another great musician, taken from us way too early.
I have been a fan of Tommy Keene ever since hearing "Back To Zero Now" on college radio back in 1984. I bought just about every release of his, from the vinyl-only "Strange Alliance" debut album, through the last few brilliant studio albums. My humble collection includes a VHS-tape of the "Live at The World" performance that Greg posted earlier, and "The Tommy Keene Handbook" paperback published a decade ago, plus other odds and ends. I even used to post occasionally on the official Tommy Keene message board, as did at least one other ICEr here, if I am not mistaken.
Tommy was a wonderful songwriter, and talented musician and photographer, but his albums, great as they were, only told part of the story. He was a stellar live performer who could light up a room with his guitar and broad smile, and it was nearly impossible to see anything but happy faces after one of his shows. Tommy Keene was highly respected by so many other musicians and people in the industry, and his collaborations with Robert Pollard, Gin Blossoms, Velvet Crush, and Paul Westerberg, among others, will not be easily forgotten.
What a tragic loss. RIP, Tommy, may your music last forever.
I originally posted this back in 2010, in a thread regarding The Police reunion tour, and thought it might be appropriate here:
Quote:
Found this anecdote about The Police's Synchronicity tour in "The Bob" Magazine (Issue 53, Fall 1996). From Jud Cost's interview with power-pop legend Tommy Keene:
The Bob: Did you cross paths with R.E.M. much back then?
Tommy Keene: Yeah, this is a funny story. Peter Jesperson, R.E.M.'s road manager, played my EP for them and they loved it, so he took me backstage at Shea Stadium for the last show of their infamous opening for The Police tour - in '83 after Murmur had just come out - when they swore they'd never open for anyone again. I was talking to Peter Buck ten minutes before they went on, and he was going, "This has been the worst experience. The whole tour they haven't said one word to us." Everybody was really unhappy. So I thought I'd better let them get ready to play and started walking out - towards the stage as it turns out, with R.E.M. right behind me. Just then Sting poked his head out of his dressing room, looked straight at me and said, "Good luck, man." To this day, Peter tells about how they toured with The Police and the only thing Sting ever said was, "Good luck" to Tommy Keene (laughs) .
I originally posted this back in 2010, in a thread regarding The Police reunion tour, and thought it might be appropriate here:
Quote:
Found this anecdote about The Police's Synchronicity tour in "The Bob" Magazine (Issue 53, Fall 1996). From Jud Cost's interview with power-pop legend Tommy Keene:
The Bob: Did you cross paths with R.E.M. much back then?
Tommy Keene: Yeah, this is a funny story. Peter Jesperson, R.E.M.'s road manager, played my EP for them and they loved it, so he took me backstage at Shea Stadium for the last show of their infamous opening for The Police tour - in '83 after Murmur had just come out - when they swore they'd never open for anyone again. I was talking to Peter Buck ten minutes before they went on, and he was going, "This has been the worst experience. The whole tour they haven't said one word to us." Everybody was really unhappy. So I thought I'd better let them get ready to play and started walking out - towards the stage as it turns out, with R.E.M. right behind me. Just then Sting poked his head out of his dressing room, looked straight at me and said, "Good luck, man." To this day, Peter tells about how they toured with The Police and the only thing Sting ever said was, "Good luck" to Tommy Keene (laughs) .
I need to get somebody to record video of me thumbing through records in a record store so people can remember me in my natural habitat after I'm gone.
I need to get somebody to record video of me thumbing through records in a record store so people can remember me in my natural habitat after I'm gone.
Wow, what a great video of Tommy and a very cool record store. The owner should be proud, love the vibe and look of it. Even Tommy's first impression is like, Cool store.
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