Tim Commerford

Tim Commerford was born in 1968 to a an aerospace engineer father and a mathematican mother. His dad worked on NASA's space shuttles. He grew up in Orange County, California. While attending grade school in his hometown, Irvine, Tim met Zach de la Rocha. Tim lived with his father and has said that he was abused as a child. When Tim was 15, Zach turned him on to playing bass and Tim found an outlet in music. A huge hip hop fan and jazz fan, Tim counted Cypress Hill and NWA among his early influences. When Zach crossed paths with Harvard educated guitar virtuoso Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk, the quartet formed the legendary rap metal outfit, Rage Against The Machine. With their in-your-face politics and bombastic songs, RATM enjoyed and successful career. Commerford established himself as a tour de force and won the respect of his peers.