I first came into contact with Tommy in late 2005/early 2006. He was a current model for Liquorbrand in their catalogue and I was determined to discover who this guy was. Of course being the super sleuth I am it didn't take long to track him down. We became instant friends and now almost 6 years on we are still dear friends. So when the idea popped in my head to start doing some features on attractive men and their stories, naturally Tommy jumped straight out at me and being the cool guy he is he was super keen to be involved.
31 year old Tom Leroy (or Tommy as I often refer to him) lives in Antwerp, Belgium. By day he works as a Store Manager for Levi's. But by night Tommy is through and through a Rock n Roller. From his early days in Enemy Rose, The Heartaches and his solo project Tommy X he never stops rocking. Tommy's current band is called The City and he also has a new solo side project called The Bad Men.
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| Tommy photographed by Cindy Frey, 2006. |
With Tommy's love of rock n roll came another venture, his clothing company Vaudeville79 where he not only plays the role of the boss but as designer as well. Tommy even had a stint as fill-in lead singer for Duane Peters in US BOMBS on their European Tours in 2004, 2006 and 2009.
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| Tommy for Liquorbrand. |
What was life like growing up for you?
"Hectic! I used to be a good kid till I turned 14 and discovered R’n’R and started staying away from home , getting involved in all sorts of shit cause I loved running with a bad crowd and I still do actually! ha. My dad wanted to send me to military school cause I was such a pain in the ass."
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| Tommy photographed by Cindy Frey, 2007. |
Who is Tommy Leroy?
"A kid with a mission!"
Tommy finds his inspiration in everything from politics to everyday life to music, friends and and family and when it comes to fashion the staple items he can’t live without are his 510 Levi’s, white t-shirts and Nike's.
What are some things you feel passionately about?
"My girl and my music first of all , my friends and my family and also my job cause if u don’t feel passionate about your job , you might as well not do it!"
Who are some people that you aspire and look up to?
"So many people in different ways but I’ve never idolized somebody, I’ve looked up to people for what they did or the music they made though"
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| Tommy photographed by Cindy Frey, 2008. |
Do you ever feel like you get pigeonholed as some kind of tattoo model rebel type? And how do you feel about that?
"This is just who I am I guess but 10 to 12 years ago , being tattooed wasn’t hip and trendy and people would stare at me and think I was a freak. Nowadays everyone has tattoos and the problem is that they all think we’re the same but we’re not I don’t wanna be like anyone else. The tattoos were just a way of expressing myself."
So let's talk ladies and love... Oh, and ladies forget about it! This bad boy is taken!
What’s your take on lust, love and love lost?
Love certainly needs lust but when I was younger lust didn’t always need it’s love!
What do you find the most attractive in the opposite sex?
"Honest, sexy,intelligent and determined!"
What lessons have life and love taught you?
"Too many to mention as I was married before and have had my heart broken many times already but such is life and I’ve learned from every encounter!"
If you could pass on any piece of advice to the fans and people reading this what would it be?
"Never mind what people think and do what you want to do , because if you’re not happy with yourself then you can’t be of any value to others either."
What does the future hold for Tom Leroy?
Any projects, exciting things on the horizon?
"I wanna record my first solo album with The Bad Men later on this year and a new album with The City and keep doing what I have been doing lately which is living in the balance! Thanks for reading this and big up to my girl Renée!!! peace , love and understanding!"
Tommy is one of the most resilient and determined men I have ever come across and despite the distance between us we have remained close friends over the years through good times and bad. Tommy is an example of someone with passion, determination, talent and good looks most of which would surprise the average non-tattooed viewer.
There is a hell of a lot more going on here than just good looks and tattoos. The goal of my Oh Boy! and Who's that Girl? features is to debunk the myths and stereotypes attributed to females and males who are known solely for their looks and/or tattoos. And Tommy is a perfect example of everything that is hard-working, motivated, passionate and talented and of a boy from a poor town getting his comeuppance on them all.
Tommy currently still lives in Antwerp, Belgium with his beautiful fiance and continues to work on his music projects and his love and lust for life and all it has to offer.
Tommy has two current projects at the moment. His solo project The Bad Men and his musical project The City.
You can lurk Tommy below;
