Biography
Who is Tom Araya?
Early life and education
Tom Araya was born in Viña del Mar, Chile. His family moved to the United States when he was five years old. He grew up in Los Angeles and spoke Spanish. His parents hired a teacher to help him and his siblings learn English. Tom began playing the bass at age eight after being inspired by his older brother, Cisco. He played songs by the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. He graduated from Bell High School and South Gate High School in 1979. Later, he completed a two-year technical course to become a certified respiratory therapist. He learned about drawing blood, intubating, and air mixture ratios.
Career with Slayer
In 1981, Kerry King asked Tom Araya to join the band Slayer. He worked as a respiratory therapist at the Brotman Medical Center. Tom used his pay from this job to fund the debut album Show No Mercy in 1983. He is one of two original members still in the group. Together with King, he won two Grammy Awards and sold 20 million albums. In 2006, he recorded the album Christ Illusion, though surgery prevented him from finishing the song Final Six. He performed two songs on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2010. In 2014, he appeared in the film Hairmetal Shotgun Zombie Massacre: The Movie. He will be a radio co-host in the 2026 game Grand Theft Auto VI. The band ended their final tour in 2019 but announced reunion shows for 2024.
Health and family life
Tom Araya has dealt with several health issues. He had gallbladder surgery in 2006, which delayed The Unholy Alliance tour. In 2010, he had an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for back problems. This surgery stopped him from headbanging during shows. He also uses a CPAP machine for sleep apnea. Tom lives on a ranch in Texas with his wife Sandra. They raise over 60 cattle and other ranch animals. His children, Ariel Asa and Tomas Jr., were homeschooled. He and Sandra enjoy horror movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Amityville Horror. He earned a black belt in Karate for self defense.
Lyrics and beliefs
Tom Araya writes lyrics about real events and serial killers. He wrote about Jeffrey Dahmer in the song 213 and Ed Gein in Dead Skin Mask. His track Eyes of the Insane won a Grammy and focused on soldiers in Iraq. He is a practicing Catholic who believes in an all-loving supreme being. He explained that Slayer used satanic imagery mainly to scare people. He believes his faith and the band's music can exist separately. Tom was influenced by hard rock acts like Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and The Animals. He also likes Jefferson Airplane. He sings country songs to maintain his vocal abilities.
Birthday and age
Tom Araya was born on June 6, 1961, which makes Tom 65 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Tom shares the date with 52 other famous people.
