Tommy Thayer (born November 7, 1960 in Portland, Oregon) is an American musician and the current lead guitarist of the rock group Kiss.Thayer was a fan of such bands as Alice Cooper, Kiss, Rory Gallagher, and Deep Purple, which inspired him to pick up a guitar at age 13. Thayer attended Sunset High School, home of the Apollos, in Beaverton, Oregon. In high school, Thayer met drummer Jaime St. James. After playing guitar in several rock groups, Thayer formed a band with St. James; the band was originally named Movie Star, which morphed into the band Black 'n Blue in late 1981. By that time, St. James had given up his drumsticks for a microphone, and he became the lead singer of Black 'n Blue. "Woop" Warner on guitar, Patrick Young on bass, Pete Holmes on drums, and Thayer on lead guitar rounded out Black 'n Blue's lineup.