Tommy Chong Dead, Net Worth, Parents, Wife, Kids, Wiki

Quick Facts

Tommy Chong is a comedian, musician, actor, writer and cannabis right activists with a Canadian-American background. There has never been a celebrity who has advocated for the free legal use of marijuana like he did. He even became more famous for his marijuana-themed Cheech and Chong comedy albums and movies. He was totally committed to what he believed should be the right of people to own and use marijuana.

Let us get to know more about Tommy Chong.

Tommy Chong’s Wiki, Parents

Tommy Chong’s real name is Thomas B. Kin Chong. He was born on 24th May 1938 at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Lorna Jean his mum and Stanley Chong his father. His mum was a waitress with Scotish-Iris origin while his father was a Chinese truck driver.

Chong and his parents lived in Calgary where they settled in a conservative neighbourhood in a house his dad bought for $500 at that time. According to him, his father was a wounded World War II veteran and there was a veteran hospital in Calgary. Thus this informed why the family chose to move over there. Tommy Chong described the neighbourhood as “Dog Patch.”

He wasn’t much educated though, but he attended school for some time before he drooped out of high school when he was just 16. Being idle and not really having something serious to do, he took to music by playing the guitar to make money. And yes, money he did make! According to him, he was about 16 when he discovered that music could get you laid, even if you were a scrawny, long-haired, geeky-looking guy like himself.

He continued on this path and soon joined a Calgary soul group called The Shades in 1960. By 1963, together with Bobby Taylor one of his band members, they opened a Vancouver nightclub named Blue Balls. Things went pretty well for them in this venture as not only was their music promoted here, but it also put more money in their pockets. At a time, they brought in other musicians as the group was pretty successful and had gained popularity by then. However, by 1965 the group split.

Chong is also an established actor who performed on many Cheech & Chong comedy albums. He shared the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album with Cheech Marin in 1973. Despite this success together, they split in 1985 due to what was termed creative differences. This took its toll on Tommy Chong as he did not act regularly again being compounded with his brief jail term. His acting career picked up a few years afterwards with several roles coming his way. In 2017, he starred as a guest in an episode of the Trailer Park Boys spinoff Out of the Park.

Wife and Kids of Tommy Chong

Tommy Chong has been married 2 times with 6 kids and one recorded divorce. In the year 1960, he married Maxine Sneed a Canadian of Black and Cherokee descent. They were parents to 2 girls Rae Dawn born in 1961 and Robbi Chong in 1965. However, Chong and Sneed went the part of a divorce in 1970.

Five years later, love found him and Shelby Fiddis together in 1975. They got married in Los Angeles and have 3 children together. A son named Paris who was born in 1974, another son named Gilbran born in 1981, and a daughter named Precious. They adopted Marcus Wyatt in 1978.

Three of his kids, Rae Dawn, Robbi, Marcus, and Precious Chong are each pursuing their careers in acting to which they are very good at.

Tommy Chong’s Net Worth

Tommy’s net worth is estimated to be at $8 million. His musical career has been widely successful and despite the troubles with his health, he looks like one who will not take time to get back to active music once he is fully strong.

Is Tommy Chong Dead?

In the 1990’s, rumours went about that Chong had died of cancer. However, there was no source of authority to add credence to the claim or rather rumour. With time, it died down.

In June 2012 precisely on 9th, Tommy Chong announced publicly that he has been battling prostate cancer which he described his as a slow stage one that he has had for a long time. He said that in the course of managing this ailment, he was drug-free for up to 3 years but unfortunately the prostrate came back.

In 2015, good news came from him as he announced through his Twitter handle that the hemp oil treatment he had been using to treat his cancer was effective. This victory wasn’t too long as he soon came down with colorectal cancer and was using cannabis like crazy in order to endure the treatment. It is believed he is still treating it.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.