Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Page grew up in nearby West Caldwell. He graduated from James Caldwell High School with the class of 1985.
Page was 16 when he was a cloakroom attendant in a popular New York nightclub called Nell's, taking the coats of stars such as Whitney Houston, Rob Lowe, and the Beastie Boys. The job gave Page a chance to play his demo tape to the house DJ, who then used the demos as part of his club mixes. The unknown sounds were so impressive that soon Page was introduced to Sire Records founder Seymour Stein, who had previously launched the careers of Madonna and the Ramones.
When Page turned 18, he was asked to write the theme tune of the film Shag and later released it as his first single. Page's self-titled debut album was released by Sire/Warner Bros. Records in November 1988 and contained hits such as "A Zillion Kisses," "Turning Me On," "I Think I'm in Love," and "A Shoulder to Cry On".
The follow-up album, Paintings in My Mind (which was dedicated to his grandmother) gave Page his first No. 1 single in the U.S., "I'll Be Your Everything," a song that was written with and features New Kids on the Block. Other singles from the album that were released after that were "When I Dream of You" and "Turn on the Radio" (another New Kids on the Block collaboration). The album also features "Don't Give Up on Love," a duet with Latin freestyle singer Sa-Fire. Sa-Fire & Page co-wrote the song, which was released as a single overseas.
Page's third album was titled From the Heart, and his vocals there showcased a wider range with higher notes than previous efforts. On this album, the ballads were more orchestral. Tommy cited the songs in the album were inspired by the current music trend of Wilson Phillips. The first single, "Whenever You Close Your Eyes," saw Page working with Michael Bolton and Diane Warren. "Under the Rainbow" and "Madly in Love" were released as singles afterward.
As an appreciation to his fans in Asia, Page released another album, A Friend to Rely On. It contains the duet with Sally Yeh as mentioned above as well as a remake of Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good" and a song penned with Donna DeLory (Madonna's backing singer) called "Heaven In Your Eyes." As house music was the current trend, the upbeat songs were produced in such form.
Before releasing his next album, Time, in 1994, Page replaced Donny Osmond for three months in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Page concentrated on releasing his other albums after that in Asia, especially after he signed with the Japanese label Pony Canyon Records. In 1995, he released his first compilation album, Greatest Hits: Dedicated to You. A year after that, his next album, Loving You, was released and it contains a duet with Amy Mastura (from Malaysia), "The Best Part" and a cover song of John Waite's 1984 hit "Missing You".
Ten 'Til Midnight, was only available for sale on-line, which was released in 2000. In 2003 he put out a DVD collection of his music videos, which is on sale through his website www.tommy-page.com. Page is one of the producers on Tennessee Girl's album Guilty Pleasures. He is also a friend of Tiffany; the two recorded "Close Our Eyes" together.
Page also appeared on an episode of Full House, singing to Stephanie Tanner on her tenth birthday, but began courting DJ, much to Stephanie's dismay.
In 2011, after a successful stint as an executive at Warner Bros. Records, where he helped to shape the careers of Michael Bublรฉ, Alanis Morissette, Josh Groban, and Green Day, among others, he joined Billboard as publisher. He held that role for two years and was responsible for the successful relauch of the brand. As a publisher he created new features such as the Industry Icon Award as well as the infamous Power 100 List.
In April 2013, Tommy Page joined Pandora Internet Media as Head of Music Partnerships. He led the Artist Partnerships, Branded Content and Events Team.
In 2015, Page released a single titled "I Break Down 2015", a slower version of his 1990 song of the same name.
In June 2016, Page released an 18 track CD of his greatest ballads titled My Favorites, which included the 2015 single, "I Break Down 2015" (with vocals and instrumental version). The CD was only available for sale on his website.
He was found dead on Friday March 3rd, 2017, from an apparent suicide.
I Break Down
Tommy Page Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I try to be the one to stand tall
I try to impress you, try to make you think
Nothing can hurt me, I can take it all
When the sky turns grey and the clouds bring thunder
I hold up a shelter for you to hide under
When the rain begins to fall and my shelter hits the ground
Then I'm the one
[Chorus]
I break down
They say in the world to make it
You've got to be strong
Day after day gets harder
To hold on
But sometimes I get sad
And my smiles turn to frowns, then it's my turn
[Chorus]
To break down
When you reach out and cry to me
I hold on, internally
But sometimes I get sad
And my smiles turn to frowns, then I'm the one
[Chorus]
I break down
The lyrics to Tommy Page's song "I Break Down" speak of a struggle to be strong and to maintain a facade of invincibility, even in difficult circumstances. The song's narrator tries to impress those around him and make them believe that he is impervious to pain and hardship. However, he recognizes that everyone has their breaking point, and when his own is reached, he is unable to hold back the tears and emotions any longer.
The song also touches on the importance of being there for others during their times of need. The singer speaks of offering shelter to someone during a storm, but when the shelter cannot withstand the elements, he must admit his own vulnerability and dependency on others.
Overall, the lyrics convey a message of strength and resilience in the face of adversity, tempered by an acknowledgement of the importance of vulnerability and human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I try to go on, I try to be strong
I attempt to continue moving forward and appear resilient
I try to be the one to stand tall
I try to be the strong one who can handle anything
I try to impress you, try to make you think
I attempt to showcase my strength to appear admirable
Nothing can hurt me, I can take it all
I believe that I am capable of handling any challenge without being damaged
When the sky turns grey and the clouds bring thunder
When there is a sign of trouble or sadness
I hold up a shelter for you to hide under
I provide a safe haven and support for you when you need it
When the rain begins to fall and my shelter hits the ground
When the hardships become overwhelming and my abilities to handle them wane
Then I'm the one
I am the one who struggles and falls apart
They say in the world to make it
It is said in life to succeed
You've got to be strong
You must be tough
Day after day gets harder
Every passing day becomes more difficult to bear
To hold on
To keep going and not give up
But sometimes I get sad
Despite my efforts, I still experience sadness and despair
And my smiles turn to frowns, then it's my turn
I try to keep up a happy facade, but it becomes difficult and eventually I am the one who needs support
When you reach out and cry to me
When you ask for my help and show your emotions
I hold on, internally
I try to stay strong and supportive for you
But sometimes I get sad
Despite my efforts to appear strong, I also feel sadness
And my smiles turn to frowns, then I'm the one
When I feel sad and unable to cope, I become the one who needs support
I break down
Ultimately, I am not invincible and can fall apart when it all becomes too much to handle
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOMMY PAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Haura Adibah Official
I try to go on, i try to be strong
I try to be the one to stand tall
I try to impress you, try to make you think
Nothing can hurt me, i can take it all
When the sky turns grey and the clouds bring thunder
I hold up a shelter for you to hide under
When the rain begins to fall and my shelter hits the ground
Then iโm the one
Chorus:
I break down
They say in the world to make it
Youโve got to be strong
Day after day gets harder
To hold on
But sometimes i get sad
And my smiles turn to frowns, then itโs my turn
Chorus:
To break down
When you reach out and cry to me
I hold on, internally
But sometimes i get sad
And my smiles turn to frowns, then iโm the one
Chorus:
I break down
the slow motion God
Iโm his middle child Charles Alden Page I miss you dad it been what 2 years now I miss you so much Rest In Peace I love you
Lynnez K
Hi Charles Alden Page. Nice to know you the firstly time here. I am the one of the bigger fans Tommy Page from Indonesia since 1989. I buy the firstly cassette, have any big collect stamp papers of your cute dad ๐๐๐ since i knew him. I was an dreamer too. And your daddy comes to visited myself in my asleep dreames along time. Woww..really fact i saw him touched my hands in dreams. His said to me.."please come to me. OMG. I said no..nooo..and i'm not ready for death". This is my least time got romantic dream on October 2020..and maybe his will come to my house again. I really like your kind-hearted and smilin'. Hope you will be succesfully with education likes your daddy too. I miss him so much till end. Send my love to your family. RIP my best singer and song writer the best of the best ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โคโคโค
Nadila Safira
Hello Charles Alden Page..Your daddy is very an tallented song writer, singer legend, very handsome, kind-hearted, easy-going. In 1989 - 2021..i was still heard this song and all albums owner your cute daddy. He was always present in my dreams when his visited me in my night sleeps. I have the one of bigger collections photograph about your nice daddy. Keep n touch Charles Alden Page. Send my best regards to your family too. I was so sad when his passed away. Every moment, i am listening to musics from your daddy till this morning๐๐๐. Rest in love peace Tommy Page. โคโคโค๐๐๐โฃโฃโฃ
Bono Tung
Hi, This is Bono from Taiwan ๐น๐ผ
Your beloved and super talented daddy, was my very first time to get to know western pop music., also was my first western pop idol (when I was just 11 years old , Elementary school kid)๐
Every time when I see Rainbow in the sky, I know that he must be there, โ under the rainbow โ๐ณ๏ธโ๐
แแแแแ แแแ
I think your mom has this feeling like you.
NOVI Yana
Im your father fans....still love his song...
Love
I guess this was your message to the world that you needed someone to lean on. I'm so sorry that you didnt have a shoulder to cry on. If I could, I would have been there for you. All your fans miss you Tommy, you are irreplaceable.
๋ผํจํ
๊ทธ๋ฆฌ์ด ๋ ธ๋ ๐ถ
The7thStranger
Perhaps this was a cry for help. :( RIP, Tommy.
Lisa Messenger
This is too damn tragic