:''For the actor, see Tommy Lee Jones.''
200px|thumb|right|Tommy (right) with fellow band member Vince Neil
'''Thomas Lee Bass''' (born October 3, 1962, Athens, Greece), better known as '''Tommy Lee''', is a Greek-born American musician, best known as the drummer for the Hard Rock band Mötley Crüe.
Biography
Lee was born in Athens, Greece. His mother, Vassilikki "Boula" Papadimitriou, was Miss Greece in 1957, and his father was David Lee Thomas Bass, a Welsh Army sergeant. His family moved to California a year after his birth. Lee received his first drum set when he was four. However he received his first real drum kit when he was a teenager. At that time, he was listening to Deep Purple, KISS, and Led Zeppelin. He joined the marching band at Royal Oak High School in Covina, CA, but dropped out of school in his senior year to focus on his musical career.
His first real band was called ''Suite 19'', With a fast playing guitarist named Greg Leon from La Cresenta, California,and played the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles during the early 80s. At this time he met future bandmate, Nikki Sixx. Casually, Sixx was forming a theatrical band that would specialize in anthemic heavy metal, and was impressed by Lee's playing. Sixx convinced Lee to leave ''Suite 19'' and started playing together in what would end up being Mötley Crüe. At this time, he changed his name to Tommy Lee and earned the nickname "T-Bone" from Sixx. Shortly afterwards, guitarist Mick Mars joined the band. Mars recommended a singer Tommy met at high school, Vince Neil, and after a missed audition, he got the job.
Mötley Crüe quickly built a strong fanbase and they released their debut album, ''Too Fast for Love'' in 1981, on their own independent label (Leathür Records). Elektra Records decided to sign the band shortly thereafter, reissuing their debut in 1982. The band then began a string of hit releases throughout the decade -- 1983's ''Shout at the Devil'', 1985's ''Theater of Pain'', 1987's ''
Girls, Girls, Girls'', and 1989's ''Dr. Feelgood'' -- establishing the quartet as one of the biggest hard rock/metal bands of the '80s. During this time, Lee worked several crowd-pleasing gimmicks during his drum solo at concerts, like having his entire kit revolving and spinning, or having the entire kit float above the crowd, while he continued to play.
As the popularity of the band rose, Lee also made the headlines with his numerous romantic involvements. He married stripper Elaine Starchuk in 1984, but they divorced within a few months. He married actress Heather Locklear in 1986, but divorced in 1993
