Common, Tommy

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario - Calgary, Alberta
Biography:

Born: September 21, 1934 - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Died: August 14, 1985 - Calgary, Alberta, CANADA

Tommy Common was one of Canadian music's first TV idols, appearing on the CBC's nationally televised "Country Hoedown" TV series, singing a mix of Pop and Country ballads, and often referred to as "Canada's Pat Boone".

Tommy Common was an early child prodigy and first appeared on the Toronto radio show "The Microphone Moppets" at 8 years of age; and as a 16 year-old he auditioned for CBC's "Pick The Stars", and eventually landed a guest spot for 15 weeks on the popular USA TV and Radio show, "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts".

In 1956 Tommy Common joined the cast of the CBC's "Country Hoedown" series, which at the time also featured Tommy Hunter, Gordie Tapp, The Hames Sisters, Lorraine Foreman and King Ganam & The Sons Of The West. The show ran from 1956-1965 and soon after became "The Tommy Hunter Show". Tommy Common was also a regular singing guest on the CBC Variety shows "Cross Canada Hit Parade", "The Juliette Show" and "Singalong Jubilee".

After "Country Hoedown" ended in 1965 Tommy Common appeared regularly on "The Don Messer Show"; and in 1973 re-surfaced as host of the CBC-TV series "It's A Musical World", a show produced on Canada's west coast in Vancouver studios.

As a recording artist Tommy Common released four albums, debuting on Columbia Records (circa 1965) with the Lp "The Common Touch" (FL-271). The contents of that album would later be re-issued in its entirety on the RCA-Camden Lp "Tommy Common Sings" (CAS-945). In 1968 Canadian Talent Library (CTL) released the album "Tommy Common (M-1061), featuring mostly Pop standards. Also in 1968 Tommy Common recorded his best recognized album "Tommy Common Sings Country Classics" (RCA Camden CAS-2226), a package co-produced at RCA Studios in Toronto by future Canadian Hall Of Famers, Ed Preston and Jack Feeney. Few, if any, single releases emerged from any of these Tommy Common albums, however he did attract some radio airplay with the 1973 release of the single "One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart", issued on the Spark label in Canada (QCS-1094).

Tragically, after a series of personal problems, on August 14, 1985, Tommy Common was found shot to death by suicide, with a pistol by his side in a truck parked outside the Calgary, Alberta home of a former girlfriend. At the time he was divorced and had four children.