When Lee was approximately two years[4] old, his father moved the family back to the United States, settling in California.

Lee attended Royal Oak High School where he met Vince Neil and was part of the marching band.

His main drumming influences are John Bonham, Tommy Aldridge, Alex Van Halen and Terry Bozzio.

[7] In the late 1970s Lee's band, Suite 19, was a regular on the Sunset Strip club circuit in Los Angeles along with other up-and-coming acts such as Van Halen and Quiet Riot.

It was during this time period that Lee dropped his surname and earned the nickname "T-bone" due to his 6′ 2½″ height and his lean physique.

[8] Mötley Crüe quickly built a strong fanbase, and released its debut album Too Fast for Love in 1981 on its own independent label (Leathür Records).

The band was known for its decadent behavior both on and offstage, often consuming excessive amounts of drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, pills and alcohol.

In addition to Mötley Crüe and Methods of Mayhem, Lee has made guest appearances on albums by other artists, such as Stuart Hamm, Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie.

He also contributed a song, "Planet Boom" (originally on Mötley Crüe's Quaternary EP) to the soundtrack of then-wife Pamela Anderson's 1996 movie, Barb Wire, and produced an album for the pre-Goldfinger project from John Feldmann and Simon Williams, the Electric Love Hogs.

[12] Lee parted ways with Methods of Mayhem partner TiLo and began recording with members of Incubus.

In 2006, he formed a new band called Rock Star Supernova with Jason Newsted (ex-Flotsam & Jetsam, Voivod, Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N' Roses).

Dilana, Magni Ásgeirsson, and Toby Rand with his own band Juke Kartel were the three runners up and accepted an offer to go on tour with Supernova.

Lee was also a guest DJ at WXRK "K-Rock" in New York during the Fourth of July Monster Metal Meltdown in 2005.

Vince Neil denied the claims that Tommy Lee resigned from the band, and said that Mötley Crüe would be going into the studio in January to start recording its new album.

[16] Lee later appeared with Nikki Sixx in a tribute concert for Hawkins at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on September 27, 2022.

In spring 2008, Lee began filming another reality TV show with rapper Ludacris for Planet Green (Discovery Channel's 24-hour eco-friendly network) titled Battleground Earth.

[36] A fictionalized miniseries, Pam & Tommy, debuted on Hulu in February 2022 chronicling the theft and distribution of the stolen tape.

In 1998, Lee served six months in county jail after pleading no contest to kicking Pamela Anderson while she was holding their son Dylan.

[38] During an altercation over Anderson's refusal to call and ask her parents not to come over to the family's house, Lee assaulted his wife, leaving her with "bruises, a torn fingernail and fear for the safety of her two sons, Dylan and Brandon.

[42] Shortly after claiming that the introduction of the tattoo into the court record would produce prejudice, Lee denied its existence.

"[44] In October 1997, Lee, along with Nikki Sixx, was arrested in North Carolina after instigating a riot during the 1997 concert at Greensboro Coliseum.

Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx allegedly made racist comments to a black security guard, suggesting that the crowd attack him.

[46] In September 2007, Lee was kicked out of the MTV Video Music Awards ceremony after engaging in a fight with Kid Rock.

[50] Lee believed the animal should be set free and claimed that SeaWorld would not comply, as Tilikum is their primary sperm donor.