Tomo Miličević is the lead guitarist in American hard / progressive rock band 30 Seconds to Mars.
Tomo Miličević, full name Tomislav Miličević was born in 1979 in Sarajevo Bosnia Herzegovina, formerly the socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. His parents emigrated to the USA when Tomo Miličević was a young child, in search of a better life. They moved to Michigan and opened a dunkin donuts restaurant – and a further one in Los Angeles in 1997.
Tomo Miličević started to learn the violin aged three and had ambitions to become a concert performer. However, after becoming interested in heavy metal as a teenager, he learned the guitar and he and his father made an electric guitar themselves.
After leaving school, Tomo Miličević was going to go into the family business and attended culinary school, graduating as an executive and pastry chef. However, he still was passionate about music and he played in a local Michigan band called Morphic.
Tomo Miličević was on the point of giving up music and devoting all his energies into cooking when a chance meeting in 2003 with Shannon Leto changed his direction. Shannon Leto told him 30 Seconds to Mars were auditioning for a new guitarist following the departure of guitarist Solan Bixler. Tomo Miličević was selected from 200 other guitarists and chosen because of his guitar playing and his pleasant personality and kind nature.
Tomo Miličević played on the second 30 Seconds to Mars album “A Beautiful Lie” on which he played the electric guitar that he and his father made.
30 Seconds to Mars have toured extensively and the third album “This is War” was released in 2009. Tomo Miličević played bass as well as lead on much of the studio recording.
30 Seconds to Mars have won many MTV awards and since 2006 have been gaining in popularity worldwide.
As of November 2010, “This is War” was certified gold in many countries including Germany, South Africa, Austria, Australia and Belgium. The album has received a double gold award in the UK and a double platinum award in Portugal.
Tomo Miličević plays a Gibson Les Paul, his home made guitar and a Fender Jaguar. He is a left-hander but plays the guitar right handed.
BIOGRAPHY – Tomo Miličević
