Forgotten Fretmasters #6 - Tommy Bolin

I was a vocalist in A Patch of blue back in the 60's with Tommy. I'll cherish all the good times we had while performing together. I knew his whole family very well. They were all wonderful people and so proud of Tommy. I can only hope that I will see them all again. GOD bless you Tommy, Rich, Pudge, And Barb. Also GOD bless Brother Johnie

"Teaser" is still on my playlist almost 50 years later. Every cut is magical.

TEASER is one of my favorite albums of all time!!

Jeff Beck came onto the stage with tears in his eyes and dedicated the Tampa show to Tommy Bolin the night following his death. Jeff and Jan Hammer played like crazy for over 3 hours. Every song on Tommy's Teaser album is ultimate music in one way or 4

It was shortly after Tommy's death that I met his parents and family. They were all great people. His mother and father had my wife and I over for supper every Tuesday night for months back then. Rich and Barb were so great to be around. His brothers Rick and Johnny were both wonderful guys as well. Rick and I would sit in the basement in their Sioux City house and jam on Saturday afternoons a lot. He asked me to teach him some of Tommy's songs on the guitar. I taught him several of them. I brought my Vox Wah Wah pedal to one of our jams and Rick fell in love with the pedal. He asked if I would trade it for Tommy's first microphone he ever owned.. It was an instant "Sure, I will".. I still have Tommy's first microphone to this very day! Barbara and Rich, used to let me borrow Tommy's Ibanez Explorer (shown at 12:43 in this video). I got to borrow it for a week at a time. I borrowed it at least once a month for a week. They would also lend me Tommy's big Crown Power amp as well. I used to do a lot of DJ shows in that area since I was a radio DJ back in those days. I borrowed his big amp to do my shows with at gymnasiums and concert halls etc. I will never forget that amp. It rocked! Tommy lost the footswitch that had the power on and off on it. I remember I used to have to take an alligator clip and clamp it between two of the three poles on the front xlr type connector of the amp. That is how it turned on! It was very generous of them to lend me his equipment like they did. Barbara told me that she prayed to God for an angel to come and help her get over Tommy's death. She believed that I was that angel. I would sit and talk with her for hours on end about Tommy and told her that she could carry on. She was strong and she would be able to get through his death. Whether I was sent to her as an angel, I can't say, but I did what I could to listen to her and let her know that life would go on just fine. I let her know that she had an important role in carrying on his legacy. I ended up moving away from that area in 1978. I lost contact with them when I moved to Texas. I have emailed and such with Johnny once a couple of years ago, when I found someone who knew how to get ahold of him. I asked if he remembered me, he said "I remember you Mr. DJ man!".. He invited me to come up to the annual Tommy Bolin Festival In Sioux City. At any rate there is my Tommy Bolin Story for your enjoyment.

The greatest guitarist nobody's ever heard of. His 13 minute (or so) version of "Wild Dogs" is a classic.

Tommy was and will always be loved and missed he will never ever be forgotten

Memories I remember when Tommy lived in Boulder same apartment that I did we had a little band he would stand at the doorway and listen and smoke weed he liked our band

Got to see Tommy when he was with Deep Purple in a concert they did in New Zealand, i was disappointed at the time that i never got to see my guitar hero Ritchie Blackmore, but wow i was sure impressed by Tommy's playing!...... during the show Purple introduced some songs off Tommy's solo album Teaser, those being the title song Teaser and the song Wild Dogs and WOW! i was even more impressed by how good those songs were, i was so impressed i went out and bought the album as soon as it hit the local record store, and to this day it is still one of my favorite albums ever, full from start to finish of great songs truly an inspirational album, sadly Tommy passed away far too young, leaving his fans wondering just what might have been?..... Tommy, you are gone but not forgotten, you were the man with magic in your fingertips R.I.P.

I'm a big deep purple fan and have been since 1970. Tommy,s contribution to the band was fantastic. He was a pure genius, come taste the band is a classic example of tb,s superb guitar work. Missed but never forgotten. Rip Tommy.

As a Purple fan Come Taste The Band was a brilliant album with some outstanding tracks, superb artist👍

Thanks for spotlighting Tommy. I actually grew up near him, in Sioux City, one year difference in age. I started drumming then, and all of us young teenagers in the local music scene knew Tommy was going to the big show! For myself, his Spectrum work is my favorite, but so much else is all so amazing. Over the years, I have turned hundreds of fellow musicians onto his work. Thanks again for this tribute. My best memories are ofTommy sitting in with local Sioux City bar bands, over the holiday vacation time, sometime around 71-73...

I saw Tommy in 1974 when he was in the James Gang and his performance still impresses me today.

"People, People" is an absolute treasure as Tommy serenades his family.

Thank you one million times

Love 'Come and Taste the Band', very strong album by Deep Purple, also Spectrum by Billy Cobham. Still listen to these over forty years later.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Bolin’s music in college in 1979. I love both these albums.

Teaser is fantastic!🙂

Thank you for covering Tommy Bolin!! One of my favorite musicians of all time 🔥