Real name: Thomas Jefferson Kaye

Effective period / Period of releases: 1973 - 1995

Thomas Kaye, aka. Thomas Jefferson Kaye or Tommy Kaye, was a prolific U.S. songwriter, producer and guitarist. Born in North Dakota in 1940 (although he himself always clamed it was in 1942) as Thomas Jefferson Kontos (Kontos being Greek), but changed it to Thomas Jefferson Kaye at a young age. After many years of alcohol and drug abuse, he died 16 September 1994 at a hospital in Warwick, New York from an apparent overdose of painkillers. He has 190 song titles listed on BMI under the names Tommy Kaye, Thomas John Kontos and Thomas Jefferson Kaye.