Episode
The Story Behind Tommy James’ “Draggin’ the Line” and His Near-Death Collapse
- Podcast
- Professor of Rock
- Published
- Jun 10, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1108
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Tommy James was the leader of one of the most successful acts of the 60s, Tommy James and the Shondells. Together they had 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1965 to 1970. But it all came crashing down for Tommy when, at what ended up as the band’s last performance, he collapsed backstage and was even pronounced dead! Tommy didn’t die, but when he regained consciousness he was a wreck. To recuperate, James moved to the country and convalesced for months, vowing to never record again…. After convalescing for a year, Tommy James got his mojo back, went back to the studio, and recorded his first solo album... Christian of the World, featuring Draggin' the Line, a song that was a surprise top 5 smash with one of the catchiest bass riffs of the Rock Era. It would later be ripped off by a major restaurant chain on a popular ad campaign. The story along with an interview with Tommy James is next on Professor of Rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .