Thomas John Stankus was born and raised in Wallingford, CT.
Tom's first experience playing in a band came in 1964 at age 14, in a group called Jimmy and the Bean Stalks. In high school, Tom formed a band called The Seegulls, who played together from 1965 to 1968. Both bands played around town at school dances, church gatherings, fraternity parties, and, in the case of The Seegulls, even one or two nightclubs.
Tom learned his trade as an entertainer by playing folk music in coffeehouses in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He attended Franklin College in Franklin, IN, graduating in 1972 with a B.A. in Music Education. He began work as a K-8 music teacher, and continued working as a part-time solo entertainer in clubs and restaurants, as well as with a group called Fat Tuesday, who served as the house band at a club called The Wooden Goblet, in Waterbury, CT. When blues legend John Lee Hooker came to the club, Hooker’s band didn’t show up, so Tom and his band filled in. After the show, the bartender gave nicknames to each of the band members, with Tom getting the name “T-Bone,” which he has continued to use ever since. Tom has played with other blues greats, including Muddy Waters, Luther Johnson, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Hound Dog Taylor, and James Montgomery.
In 1977, Tom became a full-time musician, and began touring the country with his one-man show combining music and comedy, making appearances in 22 states.
Three years into his new career, Tom wrote and recorded a song that would literally change his life.
As Tom tells it, "I was a little frustrated with people coming up to me in a club and asking me what my sign was or what I was 'really into.' I wanted to write a song to mock all the phonies. The people who were full of themselves and spouted off about Eastern philosophy and whatever fad was out there at the time. I wanted to write a song that sounded profound as hell and yet said absolutely nothing." He performed the song at a live gig on the evening of the same day he had written it, and continued to perform and refine it over the next couple of years.
In 1979, Tom brought the song into a recording studio owned by his friend Bob Taylor, who released it on his Ransom Records label.
“Existential Blues” caught the attention and imagination of fans everywhere, including Charles Rosenay, music director at WSCB radio in New Haven, CT, who in turn sent a copy of the record to legendary comedy and novelty music radio DJ Dr. Demento. When Dr. D played it on his show at KMET in Los Angeles, it became an instant hit. When Rosenay told Tom that he had a number one hit on The Dr. Demento Show, Tom replied, “Who's Dr. Demento?” It didn't take long for him to find out.
At first, Tom was selling copies of his record at gigs and local record stores, but after his exposure on The Dr. Demento Show, he was inundated with mail order requests from all over the country. Soon, Dr. Demento contacted Tom, interviewed him on his show, and ultimately flew Tom out to Los Angeles for his live 10th anniversary show, where he appeared with other well-known comedy music acts such as Barnes and Barnes, Bobby “Boris” Pickett, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Tom would go on to release several more records over the next few years, including "Existential Blues Pt. Too?," which featured a special guest rap by Dr. Demento.
Tom continued performing around the country, appearing with a wide variety of acts, including Joe Jackson, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, John Sebastian, The Mamas & the Papas, Richie Havens, The Marshall Tucker Band, Juice Newton, and Stephen Stills.
By 1993, Tom had tired of life on the road playing clubs and bars, and changed direction, moving to performing children’s shows at summer recreation camps, schools, libraries, and other family-friendly venues. That same year, he released a children’s CD titled “Songs From Camp Muckalucka.”
In 2023, he changed direction again, this time to entertaining at assisted living facilities and senior centers, both as a solo act, and with partner Brian Gillie as “The Elderly Brothers.”
“Existential Blues” remained popular on The Dr. Demento Show throughout its run, right up to Dr. D’s retirement in 2025. Throughout his career, Tom “T-Bone” Stankus has entertained people of all ages, and continues to create and to perform.
Tom's first experience playing in a band came in 1964 at age 14, in a group called Jimmy and the Bean Stalks. In high school, Tom formed a band called The Seegulls, who played together from 1965 to 1968. Both bands played around town at school dances, church gatherings, fraternity parties, and, in the case of The Seegulls, even one or two nightclubs.
Tom learned his trade as an entertainer by playing folk music in coffeehouses in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He attended Franklin College in Franklin, IN, graduating in 1972 with a B.A. in Music Education. He began work as a K-8 music teacher, and continued working as a part-time solo entertainer in clubs and restaurants, as well as with a group called Fat Tuesday, who served as the house band at a club called The Wooden Goblet, in Waterbury, CT. When blues legend John Lee Hooker came to the club, Hooker’s band didn’t show up, so Tom and his band filled in. After the show, the bartender gave nicknames to each of the band members, with Tom getting the name “T-Bone,” which he has continued to use ever since. Tom has played with other blues greats, including Muddy Waters, Luther Johnson, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Hound Dog Taylor, and James Montgomery.
In 1977, Tom became a full-time musician, and began touring the country with his one-man show combining music and comedy, making appearances in 22 states.
Three years into his new career, Tom wrote and recorded a song that would literally change his life.
As Tom tells it, "I was a little frustrated with people coming up to me in a club and asking me what my sign was or what I was 'really into.' I wanted to write a song to mock all the phonies. The people who were full of themselves and spouted off about Eastern philosophy and whatever fad was out there at the time. I wanted to write a song that sounded profound as hell and yet said absolutely nothing." He performed the song at a live gig on the evening of the same day he had written it, and continued to perform and refine it over the next couple of years.
In 1979, Tom brought the song into a recording studio owned by his friend Bob Taylor, who released it on his Ransom Records label.
“Existential Blues” caught the attention and imagination of fans everywhere, including Charles Rosenay, music director at WSCB radio in New Haven, CT, who in turn sent a copy of the record to legendary comedy and novelty music radio DJ Dr. Demento. When Dr. D played it on his show at KMET in Los Angeles, it became an instant hit. When Rosenay told Tom that he had a number one hit on The Dr. Demento Show, Tom replied, “Who's Dr. Demento?” It didn't take long for him to find out.
At first, Tom was selling copies of his record at gigs and local record stores, but after his exposure on The Dr. Demento Show, he was inundated with mail order requests from all over the country. Soon, Dr. Demento contacted Tom, interviewed him on his show, and ultimately flew Tom out to Los Angeles for his live 10th anniversary show, where he appeared with other well-known comedy music acts such as Barnes and Barnes, Bobby “Boris” Pickett, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Tom would go on to release several more records over the next few years, including "Existential Blues Pt. Too?," which featured a special guest rap by Dr. Demento.
Tom continued performing around the country, appearing with a wide variety of acts, including Joe Jackson, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, John Sebastian, The Mamas & the Papas, Richie Havens, The Marshall Tucker Band, Juice Newton, and Stephen Stills.
By 1993, Tom had tired of life on the road playing clubs and bars, and changed direction, moving to performing children’s shows at summer recreation camps, schools, libraries, and other family-friendly venues. That same year, he released a children’s CD titled “Songs From Camp Muckalucka.”
In 2023, he changed direction again, this time to entertaining at assisted living facilities and senior centers, both as a solo act, and with partner Brian Gillie as “The Elderly Brothers.”
“Existential Blues” remained popular on The Dr. Demento Show throughout its run, right up to Dr. D’s retirement in 2025. Throughout his career, Tom “T-Bone” Stankus has entertained people of all ages, and continues to create and to perform.