Thomas Cunningham Thayer (born November 7, 1960) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist for the American hard rock band Kiss, as well as the former lead guitarist for the band Black \'n Blue.\n', '

Thomas Cunningham Thayer was born on November 7, 1960, in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Beaverton, Oregon. His mother Patricia Thayer (née Cunningham) was a classically trained violinist and singer, and father James Thayer (1922–2018) was a businessman, community leader and retired brigadier general in the US Army.\n', '

Early on, Thayer was raised in a musical family with three brothers and a sister amidst sounds that ranged from classical to the Beatles and other classic 1960s pop music. Thayer\'s passion for early 1970s hard rock bands drove his desire to pick up electric guitar at age 13. After graduating from Sunset High School in 1978, Thayer played in many local garage and club bands, eventually forming his own group with singer Jaime St. James, which eventually took the name Black \'n Blue.\n', '

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