Tim Commerford was born in 1968 to an aerospace engineer father and a mathematician mother. His father worked on NASA's space shuttles, and Tim was the youngest of five children. Growing up in Orange County, California, Tim attended grade school in his hometown of Irvine, where he met Zach de la Rocha.
Tragedy struck when Tim was a small child, as his mother was diagnosed with cancer. His father divorced her while she was ill, and she was compelled to live with Tim's sister in Sacramento. His father then remarried, leaving the family in tatters. Tim lived with his father, who he claims was abusive, and found solace in music.
At the age of 15, Zach introduced Tim to playing bass, and he discovered an outlet in music. A huge fan of hip hop and jazz, Tim counted Cypress Hill and NWA among his early influences. When Zach, Tom Morello, and Brad Wilk came together, the quartet formed the legendary rap metal outfit Rage Against The Machine.
With their in-your-face politics and bombastic songs, RATM enjoyed a successful career, releasing four studio albums and earning two Grammy awards. Tim established himself as a tour de force, winning the respect of his peers and innovating a cross-genre style that placed him in a league of his own.
The group disbanded in 2000 when Zach left to pursue a solo career, but the remaining members jammed with Chris Cornell, former frontman of Soundgarden, at the suggestion of Rick Rubin. The result was so explosive that they decided to form a new band, Audioslave, and released their debut album in November 2002.
Audioslave has been dubbed "the supergroup of the millennium," but they see themselves more as a "garage band." They have achieved solid platinum status and a 13-week reign at the top spot on Billboard's Rock chart. With his success in both Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, Tim is proof positive that lightning can strike twice.
In his personal life, Tim is married to his longtime girlfriend, Aleece, an AIDS activist and medical professional. The couple has a son, Xavier.
