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 Bublé, 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.
Turn on the Radio
Tommy Page Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and my baby just had a fight
I'm down and blue, don't know what to do
There's only one way to get my message through
Pick up the phone and call the DJ
I need a dedication right away
Something special, something so true
This one's going out from me to you
[Chorus]
Turn on the radio, they're playing our song
Turn on the radio 'cause we're gonna dance
All night long
I need to find a moment in time
When she's listening to the words from this
Poor heart of mine
Just to let her know I really love her so
And somehow I just gotta let my feelings show
Do you remember the night we met
I knew it was the start
Of something baby I would never forget
This was the song that stole our hearts
Tommy Page's song "Turn on the Radio" is a passionate love song about a man who just had a fight with his girlfriend and wants to make up with her. The song is about communication and the power of music to bring people together. On a lonely Friday night, the singer is feeling down and doesn't know what to do after a fight with his girlfriend. He then decides to pick up the phone and call the DJ to dedicate a special song to her. This signifies that he knows that music has the power to bridge the gap between them and connect them once again.
The chorus of the song talks about the power of music to bring people together. It encourages people to turn on the radio and listen to their favorite songs so that they can dance all night long. The singer's aim is to make his girlfriend turn on the radio and hear the song that he has dedicated to her. He wants her to listen to the words and know that no matter what has happened between them, his love for her will always remain the same. The song emphasizes the importance of communication and how music can be an effective way to communicate one's deepest feelings.
In summary, "Turn on the Radio" is a classic love song that highlights the power of music to bridge gaps and bring people closer. It encourages listeners to put on their favorite songs and dance the night away, while also emphasizing the importance of communication in any relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Friday night and things just ain't right
It's Friday night and things aren't going well
Me and my baby just had a fight
I just had a fight with my significant other
I'm down and blue, don't know what to do
I'm feeling sad and don't know how to proceed
There's only one way to get my message through
I only have one way to communicate my feelings
Pick up the phone and call the DJ
I'll call the DJ to request a dedication
I need a dedication right away
I need them to play a song for me immediately
Something special, something so true
I want the dedication to be genuine and meaningful
This one's going out from me to you
This message is for you from me
[Chorus] Turn on the radio, they're playing our song Turn on the radio 'cause we're gonna dance All night long
Let's turn on the radio and dance to our song all night
I need to find a moment in time When she's listening to the words from this Poor heart of mine Just to let her know I really love her so
I want to find a time when she's listening to the song to express my love
And somehow I just gotta let my feelings show
I need to express my emotions
Do you remember the night we met I knew it was the start Of something baby I would never forget This was the song that stole our hearts
This song is significant because it reminds us of when we met
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOMMY PAGE, JORDAN KNIGHT, DANNY WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind