Thomas Allen Heath (born 1947) is an American musician best known as the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and occasional keyboardist of the band Tommy Tutone, who are most famous for their 1982 single, "867-5309/Jenny." A common misconception is that "Tommy Tutone" is Heath's stage name, rather than the name of the band. The band was originally known as "Tommy and the Tu-tones", which was shortened to "Tommy Tutone". Heath left the band after the release of their third album, 1983's National Emotion. In 1994, Heath released the album Nervous Love under the Tommy Tutone name, but without the involvement of any of the other original band members. The band is back on tour in 2024 with a new studio album planned for release in the fall. Tommy is currently managed by Chris Redburn.

Tommy Heath
Birth nameThomas Allen Heath
Born1947
GenresRock music
OccupationMusician
Computer analyst
Instrument(s)Vocals
Guitar
Keyboard
Years active1978–present
Websitewww.mr8675309.com

Heath has said of the enduring popularity of "867-5309/Jenny" overshadowing the band's other output, "I'm proud to be a one-hit wonder. I'd rather be a three-hit wonder, but it's better than being a no-hit wonder."[1]

Heath later became a computer analyst and software engineer and moved to Portland, Oregon.[2][3] He married his girlfriend, Lisa Scholtz, on June 9, 2008 while on vacation in Lake Tahoe, California.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Lacy, Mike (2002-08-28). "'867-5309' still rings Tutone singer". Knight Ridder.
  2. ^ Staff (2012-08-08). "Where Are They Now? 1982's Biggest Pop Acts-Catch up with A Flock of Seagulls, Toni Basil, Tommy Tutone and more though". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  3. ^ Wells, Shannon (2013-11-15). "Tommy Tutone leader finds there's life well after 'Jenny'". Portland Tribune - Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  4. ^ Gray, Mark (2008-06-09). "Tommy Tutone Singer Gets Hitched in Tahoe". People. Retrieved 2008-06-10.