Mary Morello, mother of RATM’s Tom Morello, dead at 102

Monday, July 13, 2026 at 7:29 AM

Mary Morello, the mother of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, has died. She was 102. Tom shared the news Sunday in an Instagram post reading, "Mary Morello is forever with the Rebels of Light & Song." Tom had announced in June that Mary [...]

Mary Morello, the mother of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, has died. She was 102.

Tom shared the news Sunday in an Instagram post reading, "Mary Morello is forever with the Rebels of Light & Song."

Tom had announced in June that Mary was in the hospital and canceled his European solo tour to return home to take care of her.

Mary Morello was born in 1923 in Illinois. She lived in Kenya in the early '60s, where she met and married Tom's father, Ng'ethe Njoroge. She gave birth to Tom in New York City in 1964 before moving to a suburb outside of Chicago, where Tom grew up.

A lifelong activist, Mary founded the group Parents for Rock and Rap, which worked to protect music and art from censorship. Her political activity was a large influence on Tom, who went on to be a founding member of one of the most politically outspoken bands in Rage Against the Machine.

Mary celebrated her 100th birthday in 2023 with a party featuring Jack Black singing Ozzy Osbourne.

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