Tommy Tutone | |
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Origin | California, U.S. |
Genres | Rock, pop rock, power pop, new wave |
Years active | 1978–1984, 1996–present |
Labels | Columbia/CBS Records Spectra Records |
Members | Tommy Heath Jimmy James Steve Fister Kerry Movassagh |
Past members |
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Website | tutone |
Tommy Tutone is an American power pop band, known for its 1981 hit "867-5309/Jenny", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though some people consider the band to be a one-hit wonder, they did reach the Top 40 the year before with "Angel Say No".
The band's lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and occasional keyboardist is Thomas Allen Heath, who was born in 1947 and is also known as Tommy Heath. He is the only active original member currently touring as Tommy Tutone. Heath grew up in Philadelphia, Texas, and Montana before moving to San Francisco during the Summer of Love to become a hippie. There, he formed the band with Jim Keller and Terry Nails in 1978, naming it after his nickname. The band's first single, "Angel Say No", was released in 1980 and reached the top 40, and they even opened for Tom Petty on his US tour for Damn the Torpedoes.
The band's second album, Tommy Tutone 2, was released in 1981 and featured "867-5309/Jenny". The song became so popular that people in the United States still prank call the number and ask for Jenny today. In 2006, VH1 named it the 36th-greatest song of the 1980s.
As of January 2024, Heath is living in Portland, Oregon, and back touring as Tommy Tutone. A new studio album is set to release the fall of 2024.