Tom Baptist Morello is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. 

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He was born on May 30, 1964, in Harle, New York. He was raised by his mother in Libertyville, Illinois. As a teenager, he got interested in music and politics. He attended Harvard University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies. 

Morello was accidentally tackled by a security guard during Rage Against the Machine’s show in Toronto on July 23 after a crowd member stormed on the stage. The band was performing at the Scotiabank Arena as a part of their tour that began on July 9, 2022. 

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Morello became a member of the Los Angeles rock band Lock Up in the late 80s. After the record of the band sank the group disbanded. Morello then met Zack de la Rocha. The two founded Rage Against the Machine together, which became one of the most popular rock acts of the 1990s. 

Morello was also a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage between 2016 and 2019. He was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band. He is also known for his acoustic solo act, ‘the Nightwatchman’ and ‘Street Sweeper Social Club’. Morello is the co-founder of ‘Axis of Justice’, a monthly program that airs on Pacifica Radio station KPFK (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles. 

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He is known for his versatile and creative guitar-playing style. The style incorporates feedback noise, unconventional picking and tapping and heavy use of guitar effects. He was ranked 40 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. 

In 2020, a Rage Against the Machine reunion tour was sidelined by the outbreak of COVID-19. The band was removed as a headliner from the 2022 Coachella festival.