He's a man who gives Bono a run for his money in the good deeds department.

More on that in a minute.

Happy belated birthday to Tom Scholz, who turned 65 on Saturday. He was born Donald Thomas Scholz on March 10, 1947 in Toledo, Ohio.

The founder/mastermind behind Boston, Tom is a brilliant guy with an inventive mind (he's got a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from M.I.T. and invented the Rockman guitar amp).

He didn't actually pick up the guitar until he was 21, but he taught himself quickly and of course his recorded demos of the music he wrote and played himself in his home studio (most of the guitar, bass and keyboards were performed by Tom) became the 1976 Boston debut album. The album exploded--the biggest selling debut album up to that time by any artist.

Scholz is also well-known for his support of charitable causes, including ending world hunger, creating homeless shelters, and advocating for children's rights.  He's raised millions for these causes with his own DTS Charitable Foundation.

As a long time vegetarian, Scholz also strongly supports animal advocacy, having learned of the horrendous treatment of animals used for food.

From the DTS Charitable Foundation Home Page: "His interest in this closely parallels Brad Delp's commitment to ethical vegetarianism and anti-cruelty, which began in the mid 1970's."

The incredible work he's done on behalf of humans and animals alike has earned him some high recognition, including awards from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Friends of Animals, The National Hospice Organization, the Action for Life Conference (Mahatma Gandhi Award), The Ark Trust, and most recently the Animal Rights 2007 Conference.

Happy (belated) birthday and keep rockin', Tom! Thanks for the great music as well as the great work on behalf of man and animals alike!

[The video above is of Tom Scholz's guitar solo at the end of "More Than A Feeling" during Boston's concert in Bloomington, IL on July 20, 2008].

 

 

 

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