Tom DeLonge
Thomas Matthew DeLonge (born December 13, 1975) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur best known as the co-founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the pop-punk band Blink-182. DeLonge co-founded Blink-182 in 1992 in Poway, California, alongside bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor, helping propel the genre to mainstream prominence through irreverent lyrics, energetic performances, and multi-platinum albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After departing the band in 2005, he formed the alternative rock outfit Angels & Airwaves, releasing albums that blend expansive soundscapes with themes of human potential and exploration. In 2017, DeLonge established To The Stars Academy of Arts and Science (later rebranded To The Stars Inc.), a multimedia company pursuing research into aerospace technologies and unidentified aerial phenomena via partnerships with government officials and academic institutions, though its claims of advanced materials and intelligence insights have elicited both intrigue and empirical scrutiny. DeLonge's UFO advocacy, rooted in decades of personal inquiry, preceded and paralleled official U.S. military acknowledgments of unexplained aerial encounters, positioning him at the intersection of entertainment and speculative science despite mainstream dismissal of extraterrestrial hypotheses absent verifiable physical evidence.
Thomas Matthew DeLonge was born on December 13, 1975, in Poway, California , a suburban city in northern San Diego County. His father, Thomas DeLonge Sr., served as an oil company executive, and his mother, Connie DeLonge, worked as a mortgage broker . DeLonge grew up with an older brother named Shon and a younger sister named Kari.
DeLonge spent his formative years in Poway, engaging in outdoor activities common to the region's youth, such as skateboarding , surfing , and skiing. He attended Poway High School , participating in school events and earning recognition as Homecoming King. During his junior year, DeLonge was expelled for attending a basketball game while intoxicated, requiring him to transfer to Rancho Bernardo High School for one semester before returning to Poway High . He graduated from Poway High School in the class of 1993 and was later inducted into its Titan Hall of Fame in October 2024.
DeLonge grew up immersed in skateboarding culture in Poway, California, a northern suburb of San Diego, where the activity served as both recreation and escape during his youth. The local skate scene, characterized by its emphasis on risk and rebellion, profoundly shaped his early interests and social circle. Skateboarding in the San Diego area exposed him to punk rock, as the genres were closely linked through shared venues, magazines, and attitudes in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This synergy between skating and punk provided DeLonge with his initial musical influences, including bands from the regional scene that emphasized fast tempos and irreverent lyrics.
In his early teens, DeLonge received his first guitar, a broken instrument gifted by a friend around age 15, which he used to self-teach playing despite its condition. This marked his entry into music creation, prompting him to compose original punk rock songs inspired by the skate-punk ethos he encountered locally. Skateboarding continued to intersect with his burgeoning musical pursuits, as sessions at spots like Poway High School fostered connections with like-minded individuals who shared interests in both activities. By high school, these elements formed the foundation for DeLonge's involvement in the underground punk community, setting the stage for his later band formations.
Tom DeLonge co-founded Blink-182 in August 1992 in Poway, California , alongside drummer Scott Raynor after meeting at a high school battle of the bands competition.
