Tony played the saxophone in Anaheim High School with a friend of his who also played the sax, Eric Carpenter. Eric's older brother was a great bass player in his own right but also taught Tony how to play the bass guitar. Eric and Dave knew about a show where a friend of theirs was the drummer for the second act in a fourteen act show. So they went to Fender's in Long Beach and brought Tony with them. Tony who had always had an interest in Prince(Tony even wore purple to the "Purple Rain Tour" show he went to) and hip-hop was about to change tune. He decided that night that ska and, in particular No Doubt, was an interest for him. He learned that Chris Leal, the band's bassist was leaving the band together with Gabe Gonzales (trumpet). They were going to play with a band called the Limit, many of them members of Liquidator, and they played shows throughout Hollywood. Chris Leal had already left, and did not play at this show. Instead, No Doubt had hired some temporary bassist just for the night. They now needed a new bassist.

A few weeks later Tony showed up at the Stefani's house ready to audition. He wore baggy pants and Mexican sandals. After two songs he was in the band. But that was not all, Gwen Stefani who sang back up soon fell for him. Gwen took a walk with Tony after a show in June of '87; she asked him if he was gonna kiss her. Gwen remembers Tony telling her that they couldn't date because they were in the band together. He gave her a quick kiss to satisfy her and went back to their friends. Tony gave in and told Gwen that they'd go out but they had to keep it a secret. Tony told VH-1's Behind The Music, "It was pretty much an unspoken rule that nobody dates Gwen. You know, you had her older brother in the band and he was real protective. It was almost like a bunch of brothers and our sister." Gwen and Tony held their love from the band.

Tony was and is a perfectionist. While keeping the secret from the rest of the guys he also tried his managerial skills and became the band's manager after a while. There's a quick anecdote, that Tony was such a perfectionist that he tried licking self-adhesive stamps while sending out mail once. After John Spence committed suicide Tony and Gwen came clean and told the band what was going on behind their backs. Eric was shocked. He wondered how the band would survive through anything that might happen between them. It was time now that Tony asked Gwen to go to his Senior prom.

In May of 1988 Tony helped his friend Eric Carpenter join the band. Alan Meade had decided to leave and after Eric and Chris Webb helped get Tony into the band Tony returned the favor. Eric was No Doubt's second and last saxophone player. Tony helped the band with manager duties and they opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the summer of 1988. Michael Blazary, otherwise known as Flea, helped the struggling but still growing band. He produced two demos for No Doubt that helped land them a record deal with Interscope.

In October of 1991 No Doubt hit the studio with help of producer Dito Goodwin. The band knows now it was not their best work but they were just that much excited to finally have a record of their own. The band toured in support of the album and never gained recognition outside the West Coast. But it was a time where Gwen and Tony were almost inseparable. They had the same interests and were discovering what being on the road meant to their freedom. They returned home where they played to packed shows when they got the chance.

When Interscope began turning songs down No Doubt did it on their own. Over two years they recorded ten songs and released it independently. They sold the record, named after where much of the work was done, at their shows and their following grew. The Beacon Street Collection is a cult favorite and arguably the best work No Doubt has done. One song on the record takes a shot at Interscope. Snakes insinuates that Interscope is a lying, cheating snake. At the time it was written it's probably how the band felt.; Tony would have taken it hardest since he was the band's manager. After hearing some of Beacon Street Interscope gave No Doubt the go ahead to start work on another album.

1994 was a traumatic experience for the band. Eric left the band to become a full-time artist for "The Simpsons". It was also the year Tony had enough. He broke up with Gwen. He told her he needed space. Gwen was devastated. She began writing deeply personal lyrics. Sometimes Gwen would write about Tony while they were not that far away from each other. Most of Tragic Kingdom are relationship songs about Gwen and Tony. Songs such as "Hey You", "Happy Now?" and the song that took them around the world, "Don't Speak". Interscope released the album on October 10, 1995. Now relieved of his manager duties, Tony and the rest of the band toured the world. And toured they did. Two and a half years they spent on the road. Tony saw his ex-girlfriend meet a new boyfriend, appeared on national TV performing and even went to India.

Tony told Kurt Loder of MTV a shower story, "It's a good shower story. I was taking a shower after we'd gotten home from this two-year tour, back at home in L.A., and "Happy Now?" was on the radio. And the DJ came on at the end of the song and goes, "All right Tony, take that!" And it was just such a surreal moment, you know. So I scrubbed even harder."Tony bought his own house and spent time during the "Return of Saturn" recording sessions renovating it.

Tony is basically a normal guy. Tony is still single and admitted he's gone cruising for girls a few times. Tony and Gwen are still friends thru all their trials and tribulations. They have come to have a mutual respect for each other. He wore Adidas jump suits in the mid 90's; he also has about 50 gas station attendant shirts at last count. It seems all the guys in the band want to make a statement and divert attention away from Gwen and Tony tries to do it with his fashion. Recently he's been wearing different message/band T-shirts; nothing real flashy, although he did wear a Union Jack shirt in Boston to see if the crowd would react(remember the Boston Tea Party). He loves to play live in a front of adoring fans; it's what the band lives for and how they have kept together for more than 10 years. Tony is the glue that keeps the band together; the quiet voice who knows that this fame will not last and wants to make sure the other members realize that. His instrument, the bass guitar, is what brings the music of No Doubt together.

Quotes:

"Waidaminnut! did i just say farted?"

"It's more mature, organic and natural because we were more comfortable as a band. That, and the songs were essentially written with [an] acoustic guitar and vocals, which means that if they are boiled down to their primary and bare roots, they sound great-naked, natural and great. In other words, it's No Doubt at its core"

" We opened ourselves up to trying anything for this record, we are just having fun with it."

I check myself every day just to make sure this is the same person.

© 2004 Patrick Larsen. All Rights Reserved.