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Tommy James was the leader of one of the most successful acts of the 60s, Tommy James and the Shondells. Together they had 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1965 to 1970. But it all came crashing down for Tommy when, at what ended up as the band’s last performance, he collapsed backstage and was even pronounced dead! Tommy didn’t die, but when he regained consciousness he was a wreck. To recuperate, James moved to the country and convalesced for months, vowing to never record again…. After convalescing for a year, Tommy James got his mojo back, went back to the studio, and recorded his first solo album... Christian of the World, featuring Draggin' the Line, a song that was a surprise top 5 smash with one of the catchiest bass riffs of the Rock Era. It would later be ripped off by a major restaurant chain on a popular ad campaign. The story along with an interview with Tommy James is next on Professor of Rock.

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Tommy James and the Shondells released 9 platinum albums and 23 gold singles between 1965 and 1970. It was a whirlwind for Tommy. He was a naive 19-year-old kid from Dayton, Ohio, when he got sucked in by the Big Apple, and entered into a shaky handshake deal with Morris Levy, the infamous, pit bull record mogul who ran the mafia-funded Roulette Records.

Tommy & the Shondells were behind some of the most iconic pop songs of the 60s, that have transcended generations. “I Think We’re Alone Now” that went to #4 in ’67, “Mony Mony” that rose to #3, and Crystal Blue Persuasion that climbed to #2 in ’69, and their two number 1 hit records “Hanky Panky in ’66, and the psychedelic sensation, “Crimson & Clover” in ’68. In ’68, Tommy James & the Shondells actually sold more 45s than the Beatles in the U.S., that’s how big they were! But all good things must come to an end, especially when the leader of a massively popular group is overtaken by his dark side. That’s what happened to Tommy James.

After years of heavy amphetamines, fighting the notorious Levy for royalties, and fearing for his very life, Tommy literally imploded. It all went down after a sold-out gig in Birmingham, Alabama in March 1970. Tommy was strung out on Bennies throughout the performance but somehow finished the show. As Tommy was leaving the stage, he suddenly collapsed into unconsciousness. A medic that was rushed backstage told the shell-shocked band & promoters that Tommy was DEAD!! Seconds later, Tommy regained consciousness. He wasn’t dead after all, but that scary near-death incident effectively killed Tommy James and the Shondells as the world knew them.

Realizing he needed to make some drastic changes in his life, Tommy went cold turkey and quit the business. He moved to a farm in upstate New York.