Scott Raynor

Scott William Raynor, Jr. (born May 23, 1978) was the original drummer, and a founding member of Blink-182 (1992-1998), until he was asked to leave the band in mid-1998. He was eventually replaced by Travis Barker.


Personal Life

He was an avid Metallica fan in his youth. He became a drummer when he joined his first band with some friends because they called all the "good instruments" before Raynor could choose.

Scott was originally in a band with his friend Paul Scott, but Paul had to move. Scott was a freshman at Poway when Tom Delonge was a senior. Paul knew Tom needed a drummer, so Scott and Paul went to a party where he was going be and Scott met him. They started playing with someone called Derek for a while, and Scott and Tom tried out a couple bass players. Then they met Mark Hoppus.

Raynor's name was credited in Blink 182's cameo appearance in American Pie, though Travis Barker joined the band before production.

After that there were some reports that Raynor was shot dead in 2003, following a dispute with his new band Grimbly. This turned out to be a hoax. He said on his message board that he is alive, but a homeless man from San Diego was apparently killed in incidents linked to the rumor.


Departure from Blink-182

When asked about his expulsion from Blink-182 in an interview, Scott said the following:

I think the greatest misconception was that I was fired for drinking. I received a phone call from Mark, Tom, and Rick (manager), one afternoon after a recent tour. They gave me an ultimatum to quit drinking and go into rehab. I didn't think I needed to go to rehab so I asked for the weekend to think about it, they agreed. I went out and got drunk. After that weekend I realized that I had a drinking habit that I needed to break so I told them I would go to rehab but they said they didn't trust me. So I asked if there was anything I could do to stay in the band and they said no. So I was never given a reason. Another misconception is that I am somehow upset or bitter about this. When they said they wouldn't trust me to quit drinking I realized that I was not in the company of friends. And I wouldn't have wanted to be in a band whom are not my friends.

– Scott Raynor

Alternative sources claim Raynor's departure from Blink-182 had nothing to do with his drinking habits. A fan web page claims Scott left the band in pursuit of his college degree. None of the band members have recently spoken about Raynor, hence rumours and hearsay are constantly floating about.

Some suggested the lyrics of the song "Man Overboard" off the live album The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!) were directed at Raynor. Although Hoppus denied this rumor when he guest presented Loveline, Raynor did allude to it in an interview with AbsolutePunk:

Scott: No, I have no problem with success on that level just not in that way. Music turned into music business, and I wasn't ready to deal with the game. And I was always the one saying, "let's go this way" and they wanted to go "that way," and so did everyone else surrounding the band. So guess who got kicked, "overboard?"
Jason: Overboard? -- do I sense an allusion to a song?
Scott: Of course not.
Jason: Heh.


On August 14, 2006, b182.com released an exclusive interview, in which Mark Hoppus answered 20 questions, for which fans had been seeking an answer, since the hiatus of Blink-182. When asked about his thoughts on Scott Raynor, Hoppus said he would prefer not to answer, and that Raynor had discussed the matter of his own will in interviews

Travis Barker

Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American drummer and the current drummer for pop punk trio Blink-182. He has also been a drummer for several side projects including +44, Box Car Racer, Transplants and Expensive Taste.

In 1996, Barker joined his first touring band, playing drums for The Aquabats as The Baron Von Tito. He recorded one album with them, The Fury of the Aquabats!, in 1997. His career took off when he joined up with pop punk band, Blink-182 in 1998. Barker became known for his mohawk and his tendency to perform shirtless, revealing a multitude of tattoos. Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer, producing and making guest appearances in music projects of numerous music genres including hip-hop, punk rock, alternative rock, ska, pop and even country. He has gained significant acceptance within the hip-hop community in particular and often collaborates with artists to compose rock-tinged remixes to their songs.

He founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and LaSalle Records in 2004. Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name.

Barker's marriage to former Miss USA Shanna Moakler was featured in MTV's Meet the Barkers (2005–2006). His marriage and personal life have been considerable media fodder following his divorce and a brief relationship with Hilton Hotel heiress Paris Hilton in 2006. In early 2009, Barker and Moakler decided to get back together. On April 1, 2009, reps for both Barker and Moakler confirmed they had split following an argument at their home which required police attention. The argument was said to be caused after Barker confronted Moakler about her allegedly having an affair with Gerard Butler while he was recovering from his plane crash. Moaklers reps deny any reports of an affair.

Barker also has a vast and unique collection of ghetto blasters and is a self-proclaimed car enthusiast.


Musical career

Blink-182 (1998–2005, 2009–present)

In 1996, Barker began touring with The Aquabats, under the stage name "The Baron Von Tito". Blink-182 was also on the bill, and when then-drummer Scott Raynor was removed from the band, Barker was asked to fill in. This required him to learn the entire set (over 20 songs) in less than two hours and perform them at that night's show, in addition to playing a set with The Aquabats. His efforts earned him an offer to join Blink-182, which Barker accepted.

With Barker, Blink-182 released their best selling album to date, Enema of the State (1999), followed by Take off Your Pants and Jacket (2001), and Blink-182 (2003). After Barker drummed for Blink-182 for seven years, the band split up in February 2005.

In an interview with TMZ, regarding a reunion, Barker states "We're all friends" and "Everyone's getting along pretty good."

Side projects (2002–2009)

Barker said he has always been interested in many genres of music outside of punk rock, especially hip-hop. In a 2002 interview with MTV he said, "I probably listen to more hip-hop and drum'n'bass than I do punk rock music.". Not being able to explore these interests within Blink-182, Barker participated in two hip hop related side projects during that the time: Transplants and Expensive Taste.

Box Car Racer is a side project begun with Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 in 2002. This project resulted in one self-titled album which was released that year. DeLonge said he asked Barker to play drums so that he wouldn't have to find and pay a session drummer to come in.

Transplants is a hip-hop induced punk band for which Barker partnered with Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Rob Aston (former roadie for Rancid). Transplants released two studio records as well as a remixed version of their second album which was chopped and screwed by rapper and hip-hop artist, Paul Wall. The first album released by Transplants was their self-titled album in 2002. The second Transplants record, Haunted Cities, was released by LaSalle Records in June 2005. After the Vans Warped Tour of 2005, the members decided to disband. This was confirmed by vocalist Rob Aston in January 2006 during an interview.

Barker has produced or worked on albums with the Black Eyed Peas, Pink and Pharrell. He appears on Bun B's album, Trill (2005) with Skinhead Rob for the bonus track, "Late Night Creepin'". In 2006 he was a producer on T.I.'s fourth album, King. Also in 2006 he played drums for several songs on Avril Lavigne's third album, "The Best Damn Thing". He also dueted with Rihanna on a remix of her hit "Umbrella", he also appeared in her video.

In late 2005 Barker started a new band, +44 with fellow Blink-182 member Mark Hoppus and in 2006, he and Rob Aston joined Paul Wall in forming a new hip hop group called Expensive Taste.

Barker made a very well received remix of Soulja Boy's "Crank That". In a similar fashion to the Soulja Boy remix, he has also remixed Flo Rida's single "Low" that was later included within the deluxe version of Flo Rida's debut album. Barker is a playable character in Guitar Hero: World Tour and his remix of "Low" is available as downloadable content. Barker is also featured on The Game's latest album, L.A.X., drumming on the song "Dope Boys."

He was the drummer for all of the performers in the MTV Video Music Awards of 2008 including Kid Rock and LL Cool J.

In May 2009, Matt Sorum revealed that Barker will appear on Slash's upcoming solo album.


Plane crash

On September 21, 2008, Barker was injured when the Learjet 60 in which he was a passenger crashed outside of Columbia, South Carolina. The jet was headed for Van Nuys, California.According to the Federal Aviation Administration; the plane was departing the airport when air traffic controllers saw sparks emanating from the plane. It went off the runway, smashed through a fence, crossed a nearby road, slammed into an embankment and caught fire. Barker had performed the night before at an event with former Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, Gavin DeGraw and DJ AM. Barker was transported to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, where he was listed in critical condition. DJ AM was also injured in the crash and was also listed in critical condition. Four others were killed in the crash, three males and one female. With autopsies being performed to identify the bodies, two of the deceased were crew members, and two were passengers, including Chris Baker, Barker's personal assistant who often appeared in Meet The Barkers, and Charles Still, Barker's security guard. On September 21, Dr. Fred Mullins, medical director of the Burn Center reported that Barker sustained second and third degree burns on his lower body and torso and is expected to fully recover within a year. Barker stopped his vegetarian diet and began eating meat in order to increase his protein intake and possibly speed healing of his burns.

Barker returned to the recording studio in November 2008, just two months after the plane crash. On his first television interview since the crash, he said to MTV, "I'm already playing my drums again, and I'm already back in the studio". Elaborating by stating that the return to the studio "was like riding a bike. It was really exciting to know I still have my chops. It still felt good... I still can make it around the kit. Everything felt right, so I'm thankful to be able to play."

Barker sued the plane's owners, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and an airplane maintenance company on November 21, 2008. He sought more than $25,000 in damages "for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of earnings, and medical and legal expenses", claiming that the companies had "improperly operated and maintained the Learjet". The lawsuit claims the Learjet's pilots were "improperly trained and should not have tried to take off rather than continue down the runway. The mother of Barker's bodyguard, Charles Monroe Still Jr., who was killed in the crash, joined the lawsuit. She sued the companies for "damages including grief and sorrow, funeral expenses and loss of earnings."

On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Barker will make his first appearance with DJ-AM (Adam Goldstein) since the two survived the plane crash. The duo performed at New Year's Nation's Los Angeles New Year's Eve Party at The Wiltern. Their performance was to be streamed live on the Internet via New Year's Nation's official site, and broadcast at other New Year's Nation parties across the U.S. Of the gig, Barker told press, "I'm ready to get back onstage with AM and continue to rock the house. I'm very excited to bring in the New Year in my hometown of L.A."


Equipment

Barker is now sponsored by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian.

Latest drum kit (2008–2009)

* Drums - Black Acrylic w/50% offset Lugs
o 10x8" Tom
o 12x10" Tom
o 16x14" Floor Tom
o 18x16" Floor Tom
o 24x24" Bass drum
o 14x6.5" Orange County Stainless steel/nickle snare



* Cymbals - Zildjian
o 14" A custom mastersound Hi-hats
o 22" A custom ride
o 21" Avedis crash/ride
o 10" A custom splash
o 20" K custom crash
o 19" A custom projection crash

Barker uses DW 9000 Series Hardware, Remo Emperor X Snare Heads and Remo weather king emperor Heads on his toms, Roland Electronics and his signature Zildjian sticks.


Business ventures

Barker owns and contributes to several businesses in addition to his musical interests. He founded an accessory/apparel company called Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 which sells street/skate style clothing and gear. Barker has said the brand's trademark "F" for the logo was chosen for its resemblance to a car logo but mainly for the fact that it can stand on its own. Barker is also business partners with famous skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and together they own the clothing label named Rogue Status.

He co-founded LaSalle Records, a record company to which his band, Transplants, are signed. He has dabbled in the restaurant industry, opening a Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant in Norco, California.

Barker has developed a shoe for DC Shoe Company called the "Alias Remix" and is endorsed by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian. He also has his own line of drumming products, sponsored by Zildjian.

Tattoos

Barker's first tattoo was the word "BONES" (a nickname when he was a kid) on his leg which he got when he was 17 years old. Another addition is the phrase "SELF MADE" spelled out across his knuckles which he got in 2000. Some of his numerous tattoos include religious art as he says he was brought up Catholic. He has a portrait of Jesus above his left biceps, hands in prayer on the left side of his head (visible with his signature mohawk) and a Sacred Heart. Barker has a few tattoos that symbolize his love for cars and Cadillacs in particular - two racing flags on the side of his neck with the number 66 which symbolizes the year of his favorite Cadillac and a Cadillac emblem surrounded by mudflap girls on his chest as well as a pair of spark plugs. Another well known Cadillac tattoo is the word "Cadillac" on the side of his body.

Much of his body art is devoted to his love of music such as the phrase "Can I Say" (which is the name of Dag Nasty's first album), a microphone, and a boom box on his stomach for his love of breakdancing when he was growing up. Barker also has the word "HOPE" on his back because of the Descendents' song and something positive after his mother's death. He has another tribute to the Descendents on his leg - the cover art to the album, I Don't Want to Grow Up, drumsticks and musical notes on his right arm.

Barker also makes several tributes to his family with the phrase "familia" on his arm, Japanese flowers on the back of his neck with a heart that says "Mom", and another heart with "SHANNA" on the banner. He also has the name of his first wife, "Melissa," just above the racing flags on the side of his neck. Barker has his son's name Landon on his left wrist.

He considers his right arm his good luck arm and so has many luck emblems tattooed on that arm such as a deck of cards, dice, a dollar sign, his lucky number seven, a skull with the number 13 in the eye sockets (13 is a lucky number in the tattoo culture), and a rabbit's foot, in addition to a martini glass, his initials, a devil from Black Label Skateboards, and a spider web surrounding his elbow.

Barker has a tattoo-quote by Henry Brooks Adams stating "Chaos Often Breeds Life, When Order Breeds Habit"; the quote is tattooed around Barker's neck, and can also be found on the spine of the Box Car Racer CD case.

In explanation of his large number of tattoos Barker has said, "I tattooed my body so I couldn't fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn't get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music."[citation needed] He claims to have spent over $30,000 on his body art.


Relationships

Barker has been married twice. He first married his long time girlfriend, Melissa Kennedy, on September 22, 2001. The couple divorced August 6, 2002 after eleven months of marriage.

Barker married actress and Miss USA 1995, Shanna Moakler, on October 30, 2004. The couple had a Gothic-style ceremony inspired by the Tim Burton film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which was held on the eve of Halloween. Barker and Moakler have two children together, Landon Asher and Alabama Luella. Atiana Cecilia de la Hoya is Moakler's daughter with former boyfriend Oscar de la Hoya. The family appeared in a reality television series, Meet the Barkers, which aired on MTV from 2005–2006.

On August 8, 2006, Barker filed for divorce from Moakler after nearly two years of marriage. The couple's divorce was made public as each used their MySpace pages to air their feelings on the matter. During their separation, Barker had a brief fling with Paris Hilton in September, 2006.

Despite their pending divorce, reports surfaced in early 2007 that Barker and Moakler were "quietly trying to give it another go" as they were reportedly seen autographing a fan's book, with a heart around their names.

In March 2007, Moakler revealed to People magazine that she and Barker (still married) were back together, but denied that she was pregnant. This admission came after the couple was publicly affectionate at a surprise birthday Barker threw for his wife in Miami. People.com later reported that the couple had separated again. No reason was given for the split. Barker and Moakler were seen together at the 2007 Video Music Awards kissing and holding hands. However, as of February 11, 2008, the couple's divorce had been finalized.

Barker and Moakler were together during a DJ set Barker was playing with DJ AM in Las Vegas on January 7, 2009. The couple attempted to rekindle their relationship in early 2009 but announced that they were no longer together on April 1, 2009, amid reports that police had been called to their home after a fight; no charges were filed against either party.[4]


Film and television

Travis has appeared in numerous films and television shows, most notably his own reality show, Meet the Barkers, with his wife Shanna Moakler which debuted in 2005. However, Barker can be found in a brief scene with blink-182 in the teen movie, American Pie. In 2003, he appeared in an episode of MTV's Punk'd, a Candid Camera-esque television show, in which he took part in a set up bareknuckle boxing match; he also appeared and spoke on MTV's Icon show honoring heavy metal band Metallica in May of that year.

In 2006 Barker starred in a Boost Mobile commercial, which was detailed in an episode of Meet the Barkers. He's also played a few guest starring roles such as a rapper on the popular crime drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In 2001, he appeared with Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus in the skit "Leave it to Blink-182", a parody of "Leave It to Beaver", on the late night TV show MADtv.

In a slight departure from his usual genres, he made an appearance on the 41st annual CMA Awards in 2006, performing a medley of songs by country icon Buck Owens with a group of artists including Dwight Yoakam, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, and former Byrds bass player Chris Hillman.

Mark Hoppus

Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician and record producer. Hoppus is one of the founding members of the pop punk band Blink-182 and the pop punk/alternative band +44. He plays bass guitar and provides vocals. As of late, Hoppus has produced albums for groups like Idiot Pilot, New Found Glory, The Matches, and Motion City Soundtrack.


Biography

Mark Hoppus was born in Ridgecrest, California on March 15, 1972. At the age of 15, Hoppus got his first bass guitar as a gift from his dad and earned money for a set of amplifiers by helping him paint his garage. Hoppus never took bass lessons, instead he taught himself by playing to bands such as the Descendents, The Cure, and Bad Religion. Hoppus played by himself and sang in the band Pier 69, primarily covering songs by The Cure. He also played in a band called The Attic Children in 1988, during this time he lived in Washington D.C. He later moved to San Diego, where his sister Anne (now Anne McMurray) introduced him to Tom DeLonge in August 1992. DeLonge was a friend of Anne's at the time, and constantly complained about wanting to join a band. When Hoppus first went over to DeLonge's house, he was told DeLonge would be at the local skate park. Hoppus went over and found DeLonge skateboarding with his friends. Hoppus wanted to impress DeLonge, so he climbed on a lamp post, jumped off and cracked both ankles and heels and was on crutches for three weeks. He then started playing with DeLonge in his garage and they recruited original drummer, Scott Raynor. They went on to form Blink-182. In 1998, Travis Barker joined the band during a tour in California. Blink-182 went on to record many more albums which made the band very successful. The band recorded two number one hits, "All the Small Things" and "I Miss You". As of 2005 the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Hoppus wanted to continue to write music so he started +44, a new band with fellow Blink-182 band mate Travis Barker. In 2006 they released their first album entitled When Your Heart Stops Beating. The band have recently signed a deal with Interscope Records and are currently in production of their second studio album.

When asked about a possible Blink-182 reunion, Hoppus usually replied with "I don't know. Ten years ago I would never guess that I would be where I am now, I can't guess where I'll be ten years from now." On February 8th 2009, Blink-182 presented at The Grammys; before presenting the award Hoppus said "Blink-182 is back!"


Personal life

Hoppus married Skye Everly in 2000 after meeting on the set of Blink-182's "All the Small Things" video shoot. Two years later, Skye gave birth to their son, Jack Hoppus on August 5, 2002. The three currently reside in Los Angeles, California. On August 11, 2008 in an article released, Mark is suing a father and son who lied to him about automated checkout machines at McDonald's restaurants. Mark invested more than half a million dollars in it back in October 2003.


Musical gear

Hoppus has been seen using his signature Fender Mark Hoppus Jazz Bass in a variety of different colors since the days of Blink-182. Though considered to be a Precision Bass, Hoppus's signature consists of a Jazz Bass body with a Precision Bass neck and pickup. Recently, Hoppus's signature underwent a slight modification: the bodies are now made of Ash instead of Alder, making the bass lighter. The pickup locations were also switched from their usual positions: they were placed under the E and A strings was also placed under the D and G strings and moved above the original position, placed higher than the pickup under the E and A strings, giving the D and G bass strings a warmer, thicker bass sound. The pickups Hoppus uses are Seymour Duncan Quarter-Pound pickups, the same as is on the Fender Precision Bass. The current colors of his +44 touring basses include Olympic White, Sunburst and See-Through Blond all coupled with a tortoise shell pickguard. Besides his signature basses, Hoppus was seen using one other bass guitar live on stage: the six-stringed Fender Bass VI, most notably for the song "I Miss You". Mark also use Fender Precision Bass which was first seen in Dammit, What's My Age Again?, and All The Small Things His P-Bass like his signature bass has only one volume knob. His P-Bass last appearance was in the video Stay Together For The Kids with a Sunburst Colour and White Pickguard.His Sunburst P-Bass was also with Mark recording (+44)'s second studio album. Prior to the use of Fender Basses, Hoppus heavily used Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray basses in various colors during the early days of Blink-182 up until the early Enema of the State period.

For live sound, Hoppus plugs his basses into three Ampeg SVT Classic bass heads running into two Ampeg 8x10 SVT bass cabs. Prior to the use of the all-tube SVT Classic heads, Hoppus used two Ampeg SVT-4 Pro heads which only feature a tube preamp.


Companies

Hoppus and Tom DeLonge co-owned two companies, Atticus and Macbeth Athletics, Hoppus has since sold his share in both companies; as well as loserkids.com.


HiMyNameIsMark

"HiMyNameIsMark" (also known as 'The Morning Zoo') is a podcast that was set up in the wake of the hiatus by Hoppus, and can be found at HiMyNameIsMark.com. Every few weeks he released a show of songs by underground bands, interviews with band members and/or friends, and reminisces about happenings in his life. He is often joined on the show by his friends Chris Holmes (+44's engineer) and James Ingram (+44's assistant engineer). In 2005 Hoppus won the "Best Podcast" award, beating out many of the hottest podcasts.


Non-Musical

Mark Hoppus was a guest actor on an episode of the UPN show, Haunted, in 2002.He also wrote columns for Risen Magazine's March/April and May/June 2005 issues entitled "Beyond Us". Mark Hoppus was also confirmed to be a part of the 2008 film, "One Nine Nine Four", a movie about punk rock in the 90's.

Tom Delonge

Thomas Matthew DeLonge, Jr.(born December 13, 1975) is an American musician and the guitarist/vocalist for the punk rock band Blink-182 as well as the alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves.


Early years

Tom DeLonge was raised by his mother and father in Poway, California, who are of Irish, French and German descent. He has an older brother, Shon, and a younger sister, Kari. Tom was expelled from Poway High School during junior year after being caught drinking at a school basketball game. He then went to Rancho Bernardo High School. Some of his influences have been U2, Descendents, Screeching Weasel and The Cure. When he returned to Poway High School during his senior year, the students voted him Homecoming King, despite the fact he wasn't on the ballot. Becoming a musician was not his first calling. "I was originally going to be a firefighter. I was in the San Diego Cadet Program,” says DeLonge.


Musical career

Blink-182 (1992-2005, 2009-present) and Box Car Racer (2002-2003)

When DeLonge attended Rancho Bernardo High School, he was introduced to Mark Hoppus through Hoppus' sister, Anne. In 1992, they met Scott Raynor at their school's battle of the bands and decided to form a band together that would become Blink-182. Raynor was replaced with Travis Barker in 1998, just as Blink-182 released Enema of the State, which was met with a huge amount of mainstream success, spawning three hit singles. Follow-up Take Off Your Pants and Jacket went straight to No.1 on the Billboard 200. Afterwards DeLonge and Barker participated in the band Box Car Racer, a side project created by DeLonge with his high-school friend David Kennedy in 2002. In 2003, Blink-182 released their eponymous album. DeLonge then decided to leave the band, allegedly due to mounting tensions and communication difficulties, creating a rift between him and the other members of the band. Blink-182 announced an 'indefinite hiatus' in February 2005.
Following Travis Barker's Learjet crash, DeLonge's former band mate, Mark Hoppus, posted on his blog (Himynameismark.com) on November 8, 2008, that all three band mates had communicated for the past couple of months after Barker's plane crash, which killed 4 people and left Barker and DJ AM in critical condition. This post fueled rumors among fans that a reunion was imminent[citation needed]. Adding to the speculation was an announcement made by MTV.com on February 5, 2009 that Blink-182 would reunite to present an award at the 51st Grammy Awards. This presentation marked the first time the trio had been together on stage since 2004. Before presenting the award for Best Rock Album, the band announced that they were reuniting; this announcement was followed shortly by a message posted on the band's website blink-182.com. Tom was quoted as saying "live life as if it was the last record played on the the juke box".
On February 9, 2009, Tom opened up to "Extra" about the Blink-182 reunion saying: "When you're in a band, you have this unspoken bond. You're kind of family with your boys. We took a break for a little bit. I think when Travis had the event happen to him it was something that pulled us back together... we always knew it was inevitable, we just needed something to break the ice."


Angels & Airwaves (2005-present)

DeLonge is the lead vocalist and one of two guitarists in the band Angels & Airwaves. He formed the band with high-school friend and former Hazen Street and Box Car Racer bandmate David Kennedy on guitar, as well as former Rocket from the Crypt drummer Atom Willard and former The Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn. They released their debut album We Don't Need to Whisper on 20 May 2006. During the recording of their second album, I-Empire (November 6, 2007), Ryan Sinn left the band due to personal reasons and was replaced by former 30 Seconds to Mars bassist Matt Wachter. Tom DeLonge still covers Blink-182 songs, such as "Down", "I Miss You", "Not Now", and "Reckless Abandon" with Angels & Airwaves, along with Box Car Racer songs "There Is" and "My First Punk Song". In 2008, Angels and Airwaves were a part of the Vans Warped Tour.
In February of 2009 Delonge, along with Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus, announced at the Grammys that Blink-182 will be reuniting. In a video blog Delonge says that Angels & Airwaves is not over and that there are many plans with the band in the future, which may include a pay per view event with NASA. Blink-182 will be going on tour in the summer of 2009, then releasing their newest album around late 2009.


Signature guitars

Fender Guitars worked with DeLonge to create the Tom DeLonge Stratocaster (signature guitar) which consisted of a solid alder body fitted with a single Seymour Duncan Invader Bridge pickup. It was controlled by a lone volume knob adding to its simple design. At first, the Stratocasters were fitted with an American 2-Point tremolo system and was later replaced by a hardtail bridge. Its neck was made of solid maple with a rosewood fretboard, although there have been some custom Stratocasters that were fitted with maple fretboards. The necks included a large 1970s "CBS" headstock.
Since 2003, with the recording of Blink-182, DeLonge also has a signature Gibson ES-333 guitar out available in brown with cream stripes. The Tom DeLonge Signature starts with Gibson's classic semi-hollow body design and then extends it into punk rock with an overwound 'Dirty Fingers' humbucking pickup. Its thick, distorted tone is the signature sound of DeLonge's band Blink-182.
On Angels & Airwaves albums, We Don't Need to Whisper and I-Empire Tom uses his signature Gibson ES-333 which is custom made from the Gibson custom shop. Epiphone has since come out with a lower cost version of the Tom DeLonge signature guitar, manufactured overseas, but fitted with the same Dirty Fingers humbucker.


Personal life

DeLonge lives with his wife Jennifer, daughter Ava Elizabeth (born July 15, 2002), son Jonas Rocket (born on August 16, 2006), German Sheperd Grey, and Labrador Retriever Chloe in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He is the owner of Macbeth Footwear, which he founded together with Mark Hoppus and another friend, although he now runs the company without Hoppus. He has sold his share in Atticus Clothing, which he also started with Hoppus.
He has also been politically active during the 2004 and the 2008 presidential races. In 2004, he supported the Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. In 2008, he supported the Democratic nominee Barack Obama and called him "the John F. Kennedy of this generation." He also called John McCain "a 71-year-old gun-touting Republican." He is a vegetarian and created a vegan footwear line through his company Macbeth Footwear.


Other accomplishments

Tom directed the video for Taking Back Sunday's song "This Photograph is Proof" in 2004. Tom made a cameo appearance as the Burger Jungle drive thru clerk in the movie Idle Hands and in the music documentaries: Riding in Vans with Boys, The Urethra Chronicles and The Urethra Chronicles II: Harder Faster Faster Harder. Tom also made a cameo appearance in the blockbuster film American Pie with his fellow band-mates in Blink-182, acting in a scene while one of their songs, "Mutt", played in the background. Tom made a cameo appearance in The Simpsons with fellow band-mates, while "All The Small Things" played in the background.
Tom has started up his own website called Modlife; the site allows bands and their fans can meet up and interact with each other. The artists can also choose whether to have payed subscriptions for certain items. He can also be found on Twitter.


Clothing Companies
In 2001, DeLonge started Atticus Clothing and Macbeth Footwear with fellow Blink-182 band member Mark Hoppus. However, he sold his share of Atticus Clothing after leaving Blink-182 and is currently the sole owner of Macbeth Footwear.

blink 182 Award

Blink-182 has had the most success at the Teen Choice Awards, winning three awards: Choice Rock Group (2000) and Best Rock Group (2001) for the band, and Choice Love Song (2004) for the song "I Miss You". "All the Small Things", a single from the band's Enema of the State album, received three nominations from the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000: Video of the Year, Best Pop Video, and Best Group Video, which it won. Overall, Blink-182 has received seven awards from ten nominations.


MTV Europe Music Awards

The MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe. Blink-182 has received two awards. Best New Act on 2000 and Best Rock Act on 2001


MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV. Blink-182 has received one award from four nominations. On 2000, "All The Small Things" video had nominated in Best Group Video, Video Of The Year, and Best Pop Video. Blink182 had won on Best Group Video. On 2002, "First Date" had nomination for Best Group Video


Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards is an annual awards show organized by Nickelodeon. Blink-182 has received one award. Best Favorite Band.


Teen Choice Awards

The Teen Choice Awards is an awards show presented annually by the Fox Broadcasting Company. Blink-182 has received three awards. On 2000, Choice Rock Group. On 2001, Best Rock Group. On 2004, "I Miss You" had Choice Love Song.

blink182 in other media

Blink-182 made a cameo appearance in the 1999 comedy hit movie American Pie. They appear in a scene while they're interrupted rehearsing to see a webcast on a computer. Mark, Tom, and Travis all feature in the scene, along with a fake extra band member. In the movie credits, drummer Travis Barker is wrongly credited as former Blink-182 drummer Scott Raynor, even though Raynor left the band a year earlier in 1998. Also, when their song "Mutt" is credited, Travis Barker's name is misspelled as "Travis Barkor". In 2001, Mark Hoppus' sister released a book about the genesis of the band entitled "Blink-182: Tales From Beneath Your Mom". As of 2006, another book has been in the works. Before Travis Barker's plane crash his assistant Chris Baker was helping with the project. In February 2009, Chris Holmes wrote on his blog disclaiming that the book "is so un-official"

blink182 history

Formation and early years (1992–1993)

After being expelled from Poway High School, Tom DeLonge attended Rancho Bernardo High School where he became friends with Anne Hoppus. DeLonge often expressed wanting to be in a band, so in August 1992 Anne introduced him to her brother Mark Hoppus, who also wanted to be in a band. The two played for hours in DeLonge's garage, showing each other songs they had previously written, and writing new songs together. One of these songs would eventually become what is now "Carousel". That night the two decided they needed to officially start a band, so DeLonge recruited friend Scott Raynor, who he had met at his school's Battle of the Bands competition. The three began playing together and called themselves Duck Tape, until DeLonge thought of the name Blink.

The band practiced constantly, which angered Hoppus's girlfriend. She told him he had to choose between the band and her, so he left the band just as it was starting. DeLonge then informed Hoppus that he borrowed a 4-track from a friend and he and Raynor were using it to make a demo tape. Upon hearing this, Hoppus decided he would leave his girlfriend and return to the band.

In May 1993, the band recorded their first demo tape Flyswatter in Raynor's bedroom. A 4-track was used to record the material, which resulted in poor sound quality. According to Hoppus, only a small number of demos were released, primarily to their family and friends. The same year, the band recorded another demo tape, this one untitled and known simply as Demo #2. It featured re-recordings of a few Flyswatter songs, and also included new songs, some of which would go on to be re-recorded and re-released on the band's albums Buddha, Cheshire Cat, and Dude Ranch. Buddha was released on cassette in 1993 with around 1,000 copies of the tape produced by Filter Records, an independent record company headed by Hoppus's boss. It was re-released in 1998, remastered and with a slightly different track listing.[


Cheshire Cat (1994–1995)

In 1994, the band signed with Cargo Music and recorded their debut studio album Cheshire Cat in three days. The album contained a number of updated versions of songs such as "Carousel", "Strings", "Sometimes", and "T.V." that had appeared on the Buddha demo as well as some originals. "M+M's" and "Wasting Time" were released as singles, but both failed to chart. Shortly after the release of Cheshire Cat, the band was threatened with legal action by an Irish pop band of the same name. In order to avoid a legal dispute, the band appended "182" to the end of their name.

After the release of Cheshire Cat, Blink-182 released Buddha Promo, a promotional cassette intended to prompt the release of Buddha, which would become available on CD as well as cassette. In 1994, the band released a split EP with Iconoclasts titled Short Bus. The 3-track EP They Came to Conquer... Uranus was released the next year.


Dude Ranch and lineup change (1996–1998)

After moving to Encinitas, California, the band recorded the album Dude Ranch in 1996 with producer Mark Trombino. Blink-182 recorded the album under Cargo Records, but signed with MCA in 1998 in order to handle increased distribution. The album was released in 1997 and was relatively commercially successful, selling 1.5 million copies worldwide. The single "Dammit" did well on U.S. modern rock charts, and the band received a small degree of mainstream success.

After the album's release, midway through a U.S. tour in 1998, drummer Scott Raynor left the band. There are two common explanations for his removal - that Raynor had a serious drinking problem and was asked to go into rehab or face ejection, or alternately, that he departed in order to attend college. Raynor claims he agreed to go to rehab, but that DeLonge and Hoppus were doubtful of his sincerity and subsequently fired him over the phone. Hoppus and DeLonge asked drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour. After the set, Hoppus and DeLonge sat down and discussed Barker joining the band. The next day he was offered the position and consequently left The Aquabats.


Enema of the State and The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (1999–2000)

For the 1999 album Enema of the State, the band hired Jerry Finn as producer. The album propelled the band into the mainstream, generating the hit singles "What's My Age Again?", "All the Small Things" and "Adam's Song", and an incredible amount of airtime on radio and MTV. Enema of the State went on to sell over 15 million copies worldwide making it the band's best selling album. "Adam's Song" caused a stir in 2000 when it was set to replay indefinitely on a stereo as 17-year-old Greg Barnes hanged himself in the garage of his family's home. Demos for the album were leaked as the Enema of the State Demo. It consists of eight demo recordings of some album tracks, plus an instrumental titled "Life's So Boring" which did not make the album.

In 2000, the band released The Urethra Chronicles, a DVD which features behind-the-scenes information, and The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!), Blink-182's sole live album, featuring songs from their three full-length records, including all their greatest hits coupled with previously unreleased material. The album quickly went out of print. The album also included one new studio song, "Man Overboard", among the live renditions. A demo of this song was previously featured on the Enema of the State Demo cassette.


Take Off Your Pants and Jacket and Blink-182 (2001–2004)

The band continued its commercial success with Take Off Your Pants and Jacket in 2001, which was a small change from their direction in Enema of the State. The album sold more than 350,000 copies in the first week. The album was released on three different CDs: yellow, red and green versions, each one featuring two unique bonus tracks. A European tour in winter 2001 was delayed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Rescheduled dates in early 2002 were also canceled due to DeLonge's back problems.

Blink-182 co-headlined the Pop Disaster Tour with Green Day in 2002. The tour was documented on the DVD Riding in Vans with Boys. After taking some time off, DeLonge and Barker released a new album with their side-project Box Car Racer. The band made a cameo appearance on the 300th episode of The Simpsons playing "All the Small Things" at a party held in Tony Hawk's loft.

Recording of the band's next record began in early 2003. On November 18, 2003, they released their eponymous fifth studio album, which spawned the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down" and "Always". According to Barker, the album was supposed to represent a "new" Blink-182. Robert Smith, whose band The Cure is often cited as a major influence, appeared on "All of This".

From late 2003 through 2004, the band embarked on the "DollaBill" tour, named for the ticket cost of $1 each. Blink-182 toured with No Doubt in the summer of 2004.


Hiatus and new bands (2005–2009)

Tensions between the band members arose when DeLonge found the desire for a half-year respite from touring to spend time with his family, despite a planned spring U.S. tour, coupled with Hoppus' feelings of betrayal after the formation of Box Car Racer. Further problems arose in discussions regarding the band's future recording endeavors. In mid-February 2005 the band inexplicably canceled a performance at Music for Relief's Concert for South Asia (a show put on by Linkin Park to aid victims of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake). This made their previous show on December 16, 2004 at the Point Depot in Dublin, Ireland, their last live performance. The planned tour was canceled and on February 22, 2005, after much tension, their band manager called Hoppus and Barker to tell them that DeLonge had quit the band. This began an almost four year hiatus.

Geffen Records released a Greatest Hits compilation on November 1, 2005. It is essentially a collection of the band's singles. After many criticisms about the track listing from disappointed fans, the song "Carousel" was added. A previously unreleased track was included on the CD, "Another Girl, Another Planet" (a cover song originally by The Only Ones). The song was also used as the theme song to Barker's new reality TV show, Meet the Barkers. Included was the previously issued "I Miss You" B-side and Blink-182 UK bonus track "Not Now". The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

DeLonge's new band, Angels & Airwaves released their debut album We Don't Need to Whisper on May 23, 2006, where it debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200. The band released their second album I-Empire on November 6, 2007. They also released a DVD, entitled Start the Machine, chronicalling the final days of Blink-182 and the genesis of Angels & Airwaves.

Hoppus and Barker's new project +44 released their first album When Your Heart Stops Beating on November 14, 2006. It debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200. On May 25, 2008, Hoppus stated that the new +44 album was still in pre-production.

Blink-182 is one of the bands to be featured in a documentary about modern punk music. The film, entitled One Nine Nine Four, is due to be released in 2009. Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk will narrate the film, which will also feature other punk acts such as Rancid, Bad Religion, Green Day, NOFX, and The Offspring.


Reformation and sixth studio album (2009–present)

At the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony on February 8, 2009, all three members of the band appeared onstage for the first time since December 2004. Barker announced the band's reformation, stating that "we used to play music together, and we decided we're going to play music together again," with Hoppus adding, "Blink-182 is back!" A message appearing on the band's website the same day confirmed the reformation and added that the band was in the studio writing and recording a new album and preparing for a world tour. The band also updated their "smiley face" logo to feature six arrows instead of the previous five. After the on-stage announcement many fans began to speculate on Travis Barker's arm being in a sling. An MTV article released on February 10 claimed that Barker had recently undergone surgery to repair "extensive nerve damage," from which a recovery could take up to ten weeks. This will not affect the tour, which is scheduled for the summer of 2009.

On February 16, DeLonge confirmed that Blink-182 would be touring in "a big event" this summer. DeLonge went on to note that his commitments with Angels & Airwaves would be held off and the band would release a new album coupled with a feature film in 2010. DeLonge stated that the new Blink-182 record would be a fusion of all his previous works, including Box Car Racer and Angels & Airwaves.

On February 19, Mark Hoppus was interviewed by Alternative Press about Blink-182's reformation and plans for the band's next album. Hoppus stated that they are six songs into the album and are hoping for a 2009 release date. In a later interview with Billboard.com, Hoppus stated that they had "kind of put the recording of the next album on hold and are doing rehearsals for the upcoming tour."In an interview with KROQ on May 18th, 2009, the band stated that its new album would most likely come out in early 2010. In an interview on May 19th with WKQX, a radio station in Chicago, DeLonge stated that the band would release a new single before their summer tour. On May 22nd, 2009, Hoppus stated on his Twitter account that the new single is called "Up All Night". Since then, he has jokingly stated it would be called "We Are the World" and then "The Macarena". Acording the July issue of Alternative Press, the band has at least one song, a post-hardcore tune called “The Night The Moon Was Gone”, co-written by DeLonge and Hoppus; both members sing on the song.

The reunion tour was at first mentioned during the reformation, though no concrete information was given until April 7, 2009 when website buzznet.com stated that Weezer would be supporting Blink-182 on their upcoming tour. The May 28, 2009 issue of Rolling Stone magazine later added Fall Out Boy, in addition to Weezer, as an opener for the tour. Official tour dates were announced on May 15, 2009 on Billboard.com; the tour is scheduled to start July 24 in Las Vegas, Nevada and end on October 3 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Blink-182 manager, Rick Devoe, also went onto say that the band has offers to play in Australia's Big Day Out festival this summer as well as European festivals in 2010.

As a surprise to fans, the band played their first live performance since 2004 at the T-Mobile launch for the new Sidekick at the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, California on May 14, 2009.. In addition to the performance, the band made their first television appearance since the 2005 break up; they played "The Rock Show" on May 18 and also performed "All the Small Things" on May 19, both on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On June 9, to continue promoting the 2009 summer tour, they played "What's My Age Again?" and "Dammit" on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

In June, Blink-182 once more appeared on the cover of Alternative Press (issue #252). The issue featured essays from 24 musicians from various bands on the subject of "what band changed their life". In his essay, Mark Hoppus talks of the Blink-182 song, "All of This", which featured Cure vocalist Robert Smith; "We were working on the untitled Blink-182 album and had a song 'All of This,' we thought Robert Smith would sound amazing on. I never thought for a second it would actually happen." Along with the essay from Hoppus, a seven page interview with the band was included. Among many questions, including some of Barker's plane crash, the story writer Scott Heisel asked Travis about the commitment to touring, recording a new album and what if the rest of the band wanted to replace him. Barker responded by saying, "I was still really, really, really recovering , and it was just cool to talk to my friends again."

According to the article, the band has written a new song, a post-hardcore track different from their pop punk/alternative rock sound entitled "The Night the Moon Was Gone" (Hoppus' alternate title: "The Day the Sun Said Suck It"); the song was co-written by DeLonge and Hoppus, who both sing on it. DeLonge says the song sounds like a lost track from the untitled album; Hoppus stated that, "Lyrically, it's all about how everybody has the same wants, fears and desires. No matter who you are, no matter what vantage point. At the end of the day, everyone just wants to get by." Currently, the band has no target or estimated release date for the forthcoming album and Hoppus says if it takes a year to record, it will take a year to record.