Tom Petersson

Petersson and his wife Alison have two children, son Liam and daughter Lilah. In 2014, Tom and Alison founded Rock Your Speech to promote awareness and understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and to use music to help children overcome speech difficulties associated with autism.

Outside of Cheap Trick, Petersson has worked with artists such as Donovan, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Harry Nilsson (unused tracks for the Every Man Has a Woman album), Bill Lloyd, Frank Black, Concrete Blonde, Foster and Lloyd, Edan Everly, Coinship, and members of The Mavericks. Petersson also appeared in The Ramones' 1986 music video "Something to Believe In".

During Cheap Trick's classic period, Petersson started playing the 12 string bass guitar in collaboration with Hamer Guitars. Petersson left Cheap Trick in August 1980, shortly before the release of the album All Shook Up. He worked with his then-wife Dagmar on material for a solo album, which was eventually released in 1984 as the six-song EP Tom Peterson and Another Language. Petersson also toured with Carmine Appice in 1982. From 1985 to 1987 he joined Pete Comita, who had briefly replaced him in Cheap Trick, in a reformed version of his early band Sick Man of Europe, which also included songwriter Janna Allen. Petersson rejoined Cheap Trick in 1987 and has remained with the band ever since.

Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands, including the Bol Weevils, the Grim Reapers, Sick Man of Europe, and Fuse. He started out playing electric guitar, but soon switched to bass. His professional career has been closely entwined with Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen since the Grim Reapers in 1967, and the two co-founded Cheap Trick in 1974.

Thomas John Peterson (born May 9, 1950), better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known for being the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick.