by Alex Lloyd Gross
Thomas G. Waites is an actor and a musician. He is coming to do a show with his band, Heartbreak Waites at the New Hope Winery this weekend, June 7, 2026. Waites is best known for this role in the 1979 classic The Warriors. However, you might not know it. as he does not appear in the credits.
In addition to being an actor, he also sings and has a band. That band will be at the New Hope Winery this weekend to start a small tour.. “Growing up I watched bands and I knew I had to play the guitar and sing and I didn’t know how to do it, so I had to learn. Learning opened up a part of my heart that had always been dying to express itself”.
“During the pandemic, I almost kicked the bucket and then I realized there were two things I always wanted to do. One of which was make a film, which I already did and the other is to write music and perform it. I want to share it with people.”, he said.
Waites at times will do autograph conventions and he is not shy about his political opinion. “I have been shut out of conventions “for his views. He wants it known that during the show with his band ,there will be no politics, just music.
Tom grew up in Levittown, on Green Lane. During that time he had a part in one of the largest cult classic movies ever, The Warriors. “We shot it in the summer of 1978 and it was released in 1979. Everyone , including Paramount thought it would be a flop but it topped the box office the first three weeks in February, Then Paramount had to pull it because it was causing riots. By them pulling it made people want it even more, Waites, said.
“I had the distinction of being fired from this movie”, Waites said but he was still in it. His character got run over by a subway train. He refused to get credited in the movie. Looking back, he called it a stupid move.
You can see Tom this weekend in New Hope and you can ask him about the movie or growing up in Levittown. Some tickets still remain.