Tom Glide is a musician, songwriter and producer who was born and raised in a popular working class area in Southern Paris, near  Montparnasse. He recalls, "I was not interested so much in school, only music was on my mind. My grandmother found me in front of the mirror at seven years old, playing a furious broom solo on Carlos Santana's "Soul Sacrifice". My future was already etched!"

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Tom's love of Soul music began with Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music"  because he loved the Atco Lill Trumpet designed stamps logo, the first record he ever bought, together with The Rolling Stones, "Satisfaction" and Mungo Jerry’s "In The Summertime" and "Sweet Soul Music".

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It was Jimi Hendrix who gave him his first musical "shock". "There was everything in there, Soul, Funk, Rock, Psychedelic, Jazz, it evoked craziness, beauty, attitude and  was magical." His favorite album is "Rainbow Bridge", and that unforgettable Woodstock Festival live performance of "Star Spangled Banner".

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Tom's love for REAL Soul music came while watching a Marvin Gaye concert on TV, where he was singing "What's Going On". He remembers "being stuck to the TV and the day after I ran straight to the store to buy a couple of albums, "What's Going On" and "In Our Lifetime", both of which have been integral in my music listening to date. Tracks on those albums still are in my opinion, essential anthems of Soul music."

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The 80's was the most crucial period in his musical growth. "Those were the years when Paris was a very exciting and enthusiastic mixed culture, and groovy place. Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall". For sure, early Jackson 5, George Duke, Roger Troutman, Funkadelic, the HUGE Bobby Womack, Kool and the Gang, Cameo, Brothers Johnson, Quincy Jones, Isley Brothers, ooh the Isley Brothers, man! Then Curtis Mayfield, Sly Stone, James Brown, Teddy Pendergrass, Prince, Barry White, Philly sounds, Bunny Sigler, Don Williams, Jazz, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Fusion Jazz, and billions of others artists and their music became my everyday food."

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**Biographical information (excerpted & edited from the SOULM8ONLINE interview) and photographs were obtained from the artist, used with permission**