Tom DeLonge
Thomas Matthew "Tom" DeLonge, Jr. (born December 13, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is best known as the former guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the American rock band Blink-182, in addition to his work with Angels & Airwaves. DeLonge grew up in the suburbs of Poway, California, where he embraced skateboarding at an early age. DeLonge received his first guitar shortly thereafter and began writing original punk rock songs. He formed Blink-182 with bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor during his high school years. The band created a following in the mid-1990s through independent releases and relentless touring, particularly in their home country and in Australia. They signed to MCA Records in 1996 and their second album, Dude Ranch (1997), featured the hit single "Dammit". The group encountered bigger success with Enema of the State (1999), which featured three hit singles and went quadruple-platinum in the US, eventually selling upwards of 15 million copies worldwide. Blink-182 scored a number one album with 2001's Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. DeLonge experimented with post-hardcore music on Box Car Racer, which formed into a full-fledged band in 2002, but dissolved the following year. Blink's eponymous fifth studio album (2003) reflected a change in tone within the group, which broke up in 2005 following internal tension, spearheaded by DeLonge. In the aftermath, he formed Angels & Airwaves, which has since released five studio albums and has evolved into an "art project," encompassing various forms of media. DeLonge reunited with Blink-182 in 2009, releasing new music and touring frequently. In addition to his musical career, DeLonge also manages business ventures that he founded: Macbeth Footwear, and technology and design firm Modlife. He helped score and produce the 2011 science fiction film Love, and has multiple film projects in development. He has also expanded into writing, releasing a children's book, The Lonely Astronaut on Christmas Eve, in 2013.