Tommy James & The Shondells have sold over 110 million records, had 32 Billboard Hot 100 hits, 23 Gold Singles, 9 Platinum Albums, and been awarded a BMI Five Million-Air Award! Their music has been featured in over 200 films, TV shows (like Breaking Bad & The Simpsons), and commercials. To date, over 300 musicians have recorded covers of their music, including Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Prince, R.E.M., Kelly Clarkson, Bruce Springsteen, and The Boston Pops, and yet, they didn’t see a penny of their royalties! Enter mobster, Morris Levy, of Roulette Records.
It’s a story for the books, and Tommy James wrote it. Me, The Mob, and The Music, soon to be a streaming series on a television near you. It’s a thrill ride read, what a tale, and Tommy shares some highs and lows, complete with impressions, right here.
My first concert in 1968, it’s taken almost 58 years to come face to face with this popstar, hit maker (Hanky Panky, I Think We're Alone Now, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Crimson and Clover, Mony Mony….) idol… and it was worth the wait!
Tommy gave us the skinny on his alcoholism and his bottom, how he got sober, had a son at 17, a #1 monster hit at 19, 4 wives, got ripped off for 40 million, and yet is filled with nothing but gratitude and the love of his longtime manager, Carol, whom he married last April after 36 years of working together. He’s filled with all the joy his music has graced us with for decades.
There were too many common threads to mention, but third time’s the charm. It took a few months and two cancellations to make this happen, thanks to mutual old friend and Tommy’s bandmate, Benny Harrison. I was so excited, I jumped the gun and started an hour early. Tommy is so gracious; he didn’t even mention it. Sorry to those who were looking forward to joining us Live and missed the lion’s share of it. As with Tommy’s life, there are no accidents; every hardship led to great victories. Had we started an hour later, perhaps it wouldn’t have been as magical as it was. Watch now, and you tell me. He’s well worth the wait! And I can’t wait to see him in concert in March in Las Vegas. I need a Tommy fix every 58 years!
Tommy James of TJ & The Shondells Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
THURSDAY, 1/8/26, ** Special Time 2 PM PT, 5 PM ET**
Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube
Tommy James & The Shondells have sold over 110 million records, had 32 Billboard Hot 100 hits, 23 Gold Singles, 9 Platinum Albums, and been
Tommy James & The Shondells have sold over 110 million records, had 32 Billboard Hot 100 hits, 23 Gold Singles, 9 Platinum Albums, and been
