Died On This Date (April 14, 2005) Tom Payne / The Leonards
themusicsover Tom Payne
July 4, 1960 – April 14, 2005
Tom Payne was the original bassist for Los Angeles based garage rock band, the Leonards. Originally from the Detroit area, Payne and the band migrated to L.A. in the late 80s to try to get noticed. However, with a sound closer to the Replacements than Ratt, the group struggled to get noticed along the Sunset Strip. But they persevered, building a loyal fan base that they can still count on to this day. In 2004, Tom Payne discovered he had cancer, so he left the band and moved back to Michigan to be with his family. He died as a result of the cancer on April 14, 2005