Tom Araya

Tom Araya
Araya performing with Slayer in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz
Born	(1961-06-06) June 6, 1961 (age 63)[1] Viña del Mar, Chile
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Thrash metal
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals bass guitar
Years active	1981–2019 2024–present
Member of	Slayer
Website	slayer.net

Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ton aˈɾaʝa]; born June 6, 1961) is a Chilean-American musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist of thrash metal band Slayer. He was ranked 58th by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time. Araya, along with Kerry King, are the only members who stayed in the band since its inception.

Araya was employed as a respiratory therapist in the early 1980s and used his earnings to finance Slayer's debut album Show No Mercy (1983). Much of Araya's lyrical content is about serial killers, a subject he finds interesting; his first credited lyrical contribution was the vampire-themed track "At Dawn They Sleep" from 1985's Hell Awaits.