Born Thomas Richard Bolin in Sioux City, Iowa on April 18th 1951, TOMMY BOLIN was originally a keen drummer until settling for the cheaper option of the guitar and generally taught himself through hanging around with local musicians rather than being tutored. Tommy formed his first group, BENNY & THE TRIUMPHS, in High School before being expelled from the learning establishment for refusing not to comply with the rules and stop wearing earrings.

After moving to Denver, Colorado, Bolin formed AMERICAN STANDARD before relocating to Cincinnati, Ohio and playing as a backing musician to Blues artist LONNIE MACK. This liaison was short and sweet, Tommy moving to Boulder, Colorado to form ETHEREAL ZEPHYR in 1968 with David and Candy Givens, Robbie Chamberlain and John Faris to experiment with Blues, Jazz and Hard Rock. By the time the group signed to Probe Records the band name had been shortened to the much simpler ZEPHYR and the self-titled debut album surfaced in 1969.

Unfortunately, the record company went bust, forcing ZEPHYR to seek a new home at Warner Bros. before the second album, 'Going Back To Colorado', would appear in 1971. This album marked a change in line-up as drummer Bobby Berge came in for Robbie Chamberlin and flautist Jeremy Steig was also drafted.

However, disenchanted with ZEPHYR, Bolin quit in 1972 to form ENERGY with Berge, Steig, bassist Stanley Sheldon and keyboardist Tom Stephenson. Bolin took this Jazz Rock combo onto the Boulder club circuit and cut demos that would include a prototypical version of a song called 'Dreamer', later to appear on Bolin's first solo album.

ENERGY's line-up changed when drummer Gil Evans replaced Bobby Berge. Vocalist Jeff Cooke was added creating a strong writing force with Bolin that would be maintained long after ENERGY split and the guitarist moved to New York after being invited to the Big Apple by Jeremy Steig to appear on a solo album from the flautist. Although recorded, Steig's record remains unreleased, Tommy's trek to New York led to work with EDDIE GOMEZ and JOHN LEE HOOKER. Steig also introduced Tommy to drumming legend BILLY COBHAM and the guitarist played on demos and then a full blown album, 'Spectrum' (Atlantic Records K40506), in 1973.

Upon his return to Boulder, Tommy played with ALBERT KING, but the work Bolin had achieved on the 'Spectrum' album earnt a host of admirers. Amongst the list of the impressed was Joe Walsh, at the time in BRAINSTORM after quitting JAMES GANG in 1971. Walsh seemingly still had a good relationship with his former band colleagues and knew that they were not particuarly gelling well with his replacement, Dominic Troiano. Walsh passed on Bolin's phone number and, as Troiano quit to join Canadians THE GUESS WHO, Tommy was swiftly recruited into JAMES GANG. It was here that Bolin began to make his mark on the global rock scene with his contributions to JAMES GANG, debuting with the impressive 'Bang' in late 1973.

After lengthy touring with the group, a second album to feature Bolin was released in July 1974. Titled 'Miami', the album would be the last to include the guitarist as by October he had quit to move to Los Angeles with a view to piecing together a brand new band.

In December 1974 Bolin was tapped by Jazz Rock drummer ALPHONSE MOUZON to play on his 'Mind Transplant' album (Blue Note Records BN LA 398) He also played on an unreleased DR. JOHN album entitled 'The Night Tripper' before gaining a solo deal from Atlantic Records. Unfortunately, rows with the label over the choice of producer led to Bolin's projected record being shelved, although demos cut with assorted members of ZEPHYR and ENERGY at studios owned by the BEACH BOYS impressed Nemperor Records enough to come in for Bolin's signature. He was signed in April 1975.

His new deal coincided with a RITCHIE BLACKMORE-less DEEP PURPLE scouring America for the man that then vocalist David Coverdale had suggested as a replacement for The Man In Black after also remembering Bolin's work on BILLY COBHAM's 'Spectrum'.

Ironically, after a fruitless search on the East Coast, one of DEEP PURPLE's road crew is said to have discovered Bolin living a few blocks away from the DEEP PURPLE office in Los Angeles!

Bolin joined DEEP PURPLE after gaining an assurance that he would be free to pursue his solo work in addition to his new role. He swiftly recorded his debut solo album before joining his new band mates in Munich to record 'Come Taste The Band'. Both albums would be released late in 1975.

Amongst the musicians who assisted in the recording of Tommy's solo album, titled 'Teaser', were a then little known session drummer by the name of Jeff Porcaro (later, of course, to found TOTO) and DEEP PURPLE's GLENN HUGHES also added a brief touch to proceedings.

Bolin spent the remainder of 1975 and early 1976 on tour with DEEP PURPLE. After some fairly disastrous shows in Britain later on in '76 DAVID COVERDALE quit and, with DEEP PURPLE fragmenting, Bolin returned to the States to immediately put together the TOMMY BOLIN BAND. This new act hit the clubs boasting a line-up of ex VANILLA FUDGE keyboard player Mark Stein, bassist Reggie McBride, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA drummer Narada Michael Walden and saxophonist Norma Jean Bell. Unfortunately, the tour was brought to an abrupt half after Bolin split with his girlfriend, took solace in drinking and lost his voice.

Tommy retired to the studio in order to work on a new solo album. 'Private Eyes' was released in September 1976 recorded with help from Mark Stein, Morma Jean Bell, Reggie McBride, his old ZEPHYR and ENERGY mate Bobby Berge, percussionist Bobbeye Hall and erstwhile VANILLA FUDGE skinsman Carmine Appice.

In order to support the album, Tommy put a new incarnation of his group together that included his brother Johnny on drums. At the same time he began plans to work with BILLY COBHAM Cobham on another record and also with GLENN HUGHES, but the guitarist's increasing reliance on drugs (something that had reared its ugly head during his time with DEEP PURPLE) seriously undermined his ability.

During a break in his latest solo tour in early December 1976, Bolin allegedly after mixing a lethal cocktail of heroin, cocaine and other substances, suffered a fatal overdose in his room at the Newport Resort Hotel in Miami Beach on December 4 1976. He was 25 years old and had played his last show at the Jai Alai Fronton Hall supporting JEFF BECK the day before

Buried in Sioux City a few days later, in a somewhat eerie gesture Bolin went to the grave wearing a ring given to him by DEEP PURPLE's manager, according to folklore supposedly the same ring worn by JIMI HENDRIX the day he died. It was slipped onto Tommy's finger before his burial by his ex-girlfriend.

The 1990 Geffen retrospective, 'The Ultimate Tommy Bolin', includes material culled from a variety of Bolin's sessions including his own solo work, DEEP PURPLE, ZEPHYR, THE JAMES GANG and ENERGY. The hedonistic MÖTLEY CRÜE paid tribute to Bolin by covering 'Teaser' on the Doc McGhee compiled 'Make A Difference' album, later issued on their own 'Greatest Hits' collection 1991's 'Decade Of Decadence'.

Bolin's brother John later recorded as drummer with DVC and more recently was seen in the ranks of BLACK OAK ARKANSAS. 1997 saw John joining forces with GLENN HUGHES, Rocky Athas and Ralph Patian to record the 'Tribute 1997' album.

News emerged in mid 2002 that previously unheard Bolin tracks were to see the light of day, issued through the Tommy Bolin Archives Label. The tracks were sourced from material obtained from the Glen Holly Studios, where the guitarist had worked up new songs for many months prior to recording his inaugural solo album.

The 11th annual 'BolinFest', held in late July 2004 at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa would feature VANILLA FUDGE, alongside JOHNNIE BOLIN AND FRIENDS, former DEEP PURPLE singer/bassist GLENN HUGHES and ex-TED NUGENT and WHITFORD ST. HOLMES vocalist Derek St. Holmes.