Episode 14: Tommy Bowes (Lead Singer Tower of Power)

In his seven years as the lead singer of the legendary Tower of Power, Tommy Bowes garnered nothing but rave reviews. Those in the know are aware of the talent it takes to front a ten piece band with five powerful horns, and reviewers have consistently praised Bowes’ “high range, powerful voice, and unique versatility." Touring almost non-stop with Tower, Tommy sang to audiences in Japan and Europe, with sold-out shows in Tokyo, Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, Paris and London. He crisscrossed the United States and Canada performing in venues from small clubs to the giant Newport and Playboy Jazz Festivals, Milwaukee's renowned Summerfest and an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. During this time, Tower recorded two albums, Monster on a Leash and T.O.P. with Tommy on lead vocals. Influenced in his early years by artists from Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan to Aerosmith, Yes and James Taylor, Tommy played guitar and sang, working the bar scene in Boston from 1976 to 1982. In 1982 he moved to New York City, continuing along those same lines in small clubs. It was there, that he was fortunate enough to meet and work with quite a few phenomenal musicians. He played bass, composed for and sang with the band G-Jam (later becoming Bang the Drum), which was prominent in the Village scene, from 1982 to 1986. Known for his ability to make many styles his own, he became an in-demand session singer. In 1987, Tommy joined Funk Filharmonik as lead vocalist. He worked with them until 1989 before leaving for California and TOP. He returned in 1995, and continues to work with them today. In 2008, they released their first CD, entitled Everybody Get Down, after 24 years in existence. You can check out the band at www.funkfilharmonik.com. In 2000, he met up with Dr. Dave Beyers, who co-founded the Steely Dan tribute band known as Stealin Dan and was invited to sit in. Things clicked and Tom was invited to join the band. Considering the fact that he was a huge Steely Dan fan and had absolutely no fear of spreading himself too thin... he jumped at the chance and began crisscrossing Long Island on two fronts. The members of Stealin Dan eventually parted ways and split into two separate bands. FM - A Steely Dan Tribute, of which Tommy is currently a member, performs regularly in the NYC area. Along those same lines, Bowes also currently fronts another tribute band called Sir Duke - A Stevie Wonder Tribute which can also been heard in the NYC area. Besides recording two albums with TOP and maintaining an almost constant touring schedule, Bowes still found time for writing and studio projects. His work has extended internationally with appearances on the hit German television shows, Schmitenander and Ohne Filter. He has worked in the commercial industry singing for the likes of Range Rover in Japan, Verizon, Oprah, Sesame Street and Nickelodeon, just to name a few. His vocals were featured on the San Francisco Giants theme song. Tom has also done extensive voice-over work on various projects. Over the years, Tommy has had the pleasure of performing along side a wide range of artists including Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, YES drummer Alan White, Roger Daltrey, Dave Mason, Queen Latifah, The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, Spike Edney and Jamie Moses from Queen, Mark Hudson, Greg Adams, Will Lee, Michelle Shocked and many others. He can also be heard in some major motion pictures including, White Palace (Universal – 1990), View From the Top (Miramax-2003) and Shaolin Soccer(Miramax-2004). In April of 1995, Bowes left Tower of Power, took some time off to breathe a little and think about the next phase of his musical life. He has since been living in New Jersey, working on various projects for other artists. In 2012, Tommy was honored to have been invited to perform with the legendary band Blood, Sweat & Tears as lead vocalist on their summer tour.