Thomas Michael Stevens
July 28, 1951 – March 10, 2024
Englewood, NJ

Thomas Michael Stevens (T.M. Stevens) passed away peacefully on March 10, 2024, after a long illness at the Actors Fund Home of Englewood, New Jersey.

World-famous bassist, songwriter, session player, and solo performer T.M. Stevens was born to Dorothy Stevens (d. 2007), who referred to her son as Mike, in the South Bronx of New York. At eleven, he became interested in playing music, sitting outside nightclubs to listen to the musicians perform and frequenting venues such as the Apollo Theater to listen to legends such as James Brown, eventually recording on Brown’s Billboard charting album Gravity.

T.M.’s single mother, Dorothy, raised him as best she could; however, she relied heavily on a constant maternal figure for T.M. from his birth, Thomisina Mayme Johnson Santiago, known to T.M. as “Aunt Buzzie.” Ms. Santiago was a close friend of T.M.’s mother when they both served state-side in the military. T.M. would go on to live with his Aunt Buzzie from his pre-teen years to his coming of age. While studying to be a Medical Lab technician at The Bronx Community College, T.M. was encouraged by a professor to do what he loved most – play and perform music. He practiced his musical craft by playing after-hours clubs around NYC, developing into a virtuoso bassist with a unique style encompassing funk, rock, jazz, and soul. T.M. was a highly-sought-after player and session musician and has recorded and toured with many artists, including James Brown, Nona Hendryx, Joe Cocker, The Pretenders, Cyndi Lauper, Little Steven, Tina Turner, Narada Michael Walden, Darlene Love, Stevie Salas, and Billy Joel, along with hundreds of album credits including session recordings with Miles Davis and performances with Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston and had become a fixture on many rock and metal tribute albums over the years. Describing his music styling as heavily influenced in his youth, including James Brown, Sly Stone, Larry Graham, P-Funk, and Hendrix, followed by the influences of Metallica, Living Colour, Bad Brains, Fishbone – bands that added the funk-inspiring him to incorporate those two elements in his way, releasing seven albums.

1978 was a pivotal year for TM Stevens as he concluded his Broadway orchestra run with the play “Your Arms Too Short to Box With God” and joined Miles Davis in the Columbia Records New York recording studio in March. Next came his first touring gig with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu One Truth Band, followed by his touring with the Narada Michael Walden band. For the next five decades, T.M. traveled the world performing with the elite in music and as a headliner himself. T.M. was also known for his flamboyant fashion sense and persona fronting his metal funk band Shocka Zooloo. T.M. won the hearts of fans around the globe as both a teacher and mentor to new and established bass players and will be forever remembered as a virtuosic bass giant and deftly funky producer/singer with a huge, loving heart whose motto was “Forever Bass.”

Thomas Michael Stevens was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Stevens, and guardian, Thomisina (Buzzie) Johnson Santiago. He leaves to cherish his memory Aunt Buzzie’s nieces –  his childhood companions and fictive kin: Martine Dalton Jones (Kevin) of Grand Rapids, MI, Frances Dalton of Grand Rapids, MI, Barbara Dalton Harley (Raymond) of North Carolina, former wife Takako Walsh, his loving, long-time companion Carrie Beehan, numerous close friends, and musical peers, including B.J. Nelson, TC Tolliver (Doe), Narada Michael Walden, Will Calhoun, and caretaker Kevin Brennan, along with multitudes of his fans from around the world.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the charities below.

The T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund

In the cherished memory of T.M. Stevens, in lieu of flowers, we extend a heartfelt invitation for you to contribute to the T.M. Stevens Bass Scholarship Fund, a tribute to T.M.’s enduring legacy and profound love for music and life. T.M.’s passion for nurturing talent will continue to resonate through this initiative, designed to support an aspiring bass player aged 12+ from the Bronx, New York—T.M.’s birthplace which always remained close to his heart. This scholarship isn’t just for financial support; it’s a beacon of hope and opportunity to foster the evolution and growth of the next generation of musicians. In supporting the scholarship fund you will be part of a broader vision to build this tribute into a nationwide program that champions talented young musicians who unfortunately lack the resources to take their artistry to the next level. Let’s keep the rhythm of T.M.’s life, joy, and love of music alive by empowering young artists to follow in his resonant footsteps.

https://www.every.org/inkubator-inc/f/bass-forever-the-tm-stevens

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Actors Fund Home situated at 155-175 West Hudson Avenue, Englewood, NJ 07631 for their superb health care and supportive services in an environment filled with warmth, charm and excellent care-givers. Donations can be made via the following link:

https://actorsfundhome.org/