Tommy Chong is synonymous with cannabis culture. He is a Canadian-American writer, musician, comedian, and actor with one heck of a resume. After a brief prison stint, he (whether he liked it or not) became an advocate and activist for the cannabis community in North America.

Before his prison sentence or Cheech and Chong dominated the screen, Tommy Chong was (among other things) a billboard top 100 artist for his band’s hit song “Does Your Mama Know About Me.”

He was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Tommy applied for (and received) his green card to the US in the mid-1980s (he only had to miss a Friday night gig and get fired from his band).

Then, Tommy was told that his being fired was a mistake.

He didn’t care, and he wanted to keep “being fired.” He wanted to be a manager and not just another performing act.

Let’s take a look at the interesting (and comical) life of Tommy Chong.

Rambunctious and Rowdy: Kicked out of Alberta, Canada

In the documentary “a/k/a Tommy Chong” and a few articles published, Tommy talks about his early years living in Alberta and how both the mayor (Hey, Don McKay!) and police chief ran him out of Calgary.

He says he was in the first Blues band in Canada, and the mayor kicked him out because it was “attracting a rough element.”

“How I came to be a stoner satirist or comedian in Vancouver in the late ’60s was not something I would have predicted. I spent 1941 to 1958 – my life from age 3 to age 20 – in Calgary, Alberta, at which point the Mayor of Calgary, Don McKay, kicked me out of the city (more on that later). “

Fun fact: Tommy Chong quit high school because he thought they would kick him out anyway.

Tommy loves making music.

He realized that even when you’re a ‘scrawny geek,’ you will still get laid when you’re a music maker.

BC Means ‘Best Chronic’: Makin’ Music in Vancouver, BC

With his band “The Shades” in tow, he set out for Vancouver, BC, where they continued their musical ventures and eventually bought a nightclub with fellow bandmate Bobby Taylor.

In 1958 Chong and his bandmates “The Shade” came to Vancouver, BC and changed their name to “Little Daddy & the Bachelors.”

The nightclub was purchased in 1963, and it was named “Blue Balls.”

The nightclub hosted the likes of Ike, and Tina Turner (who had never performed in Vancouver before) took center stage.

Later the band’s name changed yet again. This last name change was “ Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers.”

I can only imagine the type of sh*t that went down between 1963 and 1969, and I only wish I could have been there.

“Cheech Like Peach, Chong Like Dong”: Dave’s Not Here, Man

Cheech Marin met Tommy Chong in Vancouver, Canada, in 1969.

At the time, Cheech was a bonafide carpet deliverer.

A fellow friend told Cheech about Tommy, and ( I can only assume) that same person told Tommy about this funny guy, and that’s when he met Cheech.

Or so the story goes. There are two sides to every story and...

According to Cheech Marin:

Tommy offered Cheech $5 more to hang out with naked girls and smoke weed all the time, so Cheech had to think about it.

The rest is history.

They decide to go down to California- everyone wants to be a star.

A few notable guys that never get any mention, but who helped the duo on their merry little way:

Lou Alder saw their potential. Dick Alen was one of their first agents.

Their act was appealing, and they quickly became leaders in the counterculture movement.

There is so much more to Tommy Chong’s story, and I hope this condensed look into his musical and comedic portions of it has sparked (do you see what I did there?) an interest.

Happy Birthday Tommy Chong!

Acknowledgments:

Tommy Chong “ Tommy Chong’s Vancouver” 

Gregory Adams “ The Clubs that Shaped Vancouver’s Nightlife” 

Daniel Araya “Tommy Chong talks Hendrix, Coltrane, and comedy.”

About the author: Heather Burton

Heather lives with her husband and two children in beautiful British Columbia. Her passion has always been to enhance the lives of others by helping them reach their business goals.

Content management is her specialty, and writing is what she does best. Working specifically in the cannabis market, Heather strives to help dispensaries, patients, doctors, manufacturers and recreational users by giving them the voice they need. When she is not writing, you can find her anywhere outdoors and away from the screen.