- Born
- Died
- Birth nameThomas Eugene Dreesen
- Tom had had over 500 appearances on national television as a stand up comedian. He was a frequent guest on the Late Show with David Letterman (1993)and has hosted the show in David's absence. He was an opening act for Smokey Robinson, Tony Orlando, Gladys Knight, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr.and Frank Sinatra. He was Sinatra's opening act for 13 years.
As an actor, Tom has had roles on television in Murder, She Wrote (1984), Columbo (1971), Touched by an Angel (1994), WKRP in Cincinnati (1978) and Family Ties (1982). Tom had roles on the HBO movies The Rat Pack (1998)and Lansky (1999). He has also been in the feature films Spaceballs (1987), Man on the Moon (1999) and Trouble with the Curve (2012).
In 2013 he began appearing around the country in a one man show called "An Evening of Laughter and Memories of Sinatra".
- IMDb mini biography by: Amy Barbuscia
- SpouseMaryellen Subock(1958 - 1984) (divorced, 3 children)
- ParentsGlenore R AlgoeWalter Charles Dreesen
- Realized when he was about 12 years old that his aunt's husband was his real father. Both kept it a secret. His real father revealed on his deathbed that his one regret in life was not being able to tell people that Tom was his son.
- Created "Day for Darlene" in 1982, a 26-mile run through south Chicago to raise money to help fight multiple sclerosis. His older sister, Darlene, died from MS in 1989.
- After four years in the Navy, Tom often worked two jobs to support his family, usually construction and bartending. Says his life changed when he joined the Jaycees where he created a drug-education program for grade school students and began to speak in front of classes and assemblies.
- Release of the book, "Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black & White" by Tom and Tim Reid.
- Was the third of eight children growing up in poverty in Harvey, IL.
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