Tom Waits

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Lore & Background

Tom Waits was born into a middle-class family in Pomona, California, who then moved to Whittier in 1949. His family lived on Kentucky Avenue (and briefly Pickering Avenue), a pivotal setting for his memories. Inspired by the work of Bob Dylan and the Beat Generation, he began singing on the San Diego folk circuit. He moved to Los Angeles in 1972, where he worked as a songwriter before signing a recording contract with Asylum Records. His debut album was Closing Time (1973), followed by The Heart of Saturday Night (1974) and Nighthawks at the Diner (1975). He toured the United States, Europe, and Japan, finding greater critical and commercial success with Small Change (1976), Blue Valentine (1978), and Heartattack and Vine (1980). In 1978, Waits entered the world of film, where he met Kathleen Brennan. He collaborated with Crystal Gayle on the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s One From the Heart (1982) and made cameos in several Coppola films. In 1980, Waits married Brennan, split from his manager and record label, and moved to New York City. With Brennan's encouragement and frequent collaboration, he pursued a more eclectic and experimental sound influenced by Harry Partch and Captain Beefheart, as heard on the loose trilogy Swordfishtrombones (1983), Rain Dogs (1985) and Franks Wild Years (1987). In 1990, he collaborated with theater director Robert Wilson on the musical The Black Rider, the songs for which were released on the album of the same name. Waits and Wilson reunited for the musicals Alice (1992) and Woyzeck (2000). In 2002, the songs from the two musicals were released on the albums Alice and Blood Money. Waits won Grammys for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Contemporary Folk Album for Bone Machine (1992) and Mule Variations (1999). Waits went on to release Real Gone (2004), the compilation Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (2006), the live album Glitter and Doom Live (2009) and Bad as Me (2011). Waits has not toured since 2008 and has not issued a new album since 2011, though he continues to make isolated (and widely spaced) appearances guesting at concerts and special events. He also has published poetry and has continued his acting career, encompassing a range of offbeat character roles.

Reader's Guide

Tom Waits has influenced many artists and gained an international cult following. His songs have been covered by Bruce Springsteen, Tori Amos, Rod Stewart, and the Eagles and he has written songs for Johnny Cash and Norah Jones among others. In 2011, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Introducing him, Neil Young said 'This next man is indescribable, and I'm here to describe him. He's sort of a performer, singer, actor, magician, spirit guide, changeling...' Accepting the honor, Waits mused: 'They say that I have no hits and I'm difficult to work with. And they say that like it's a bad thing!' Jim Fusilli calls him 'A keen, sensitive and sympathetic chronicler of the adrift and downtrodden' who 'creates three-dimensional characters who, even in their confusion and despair, are capable of insight and startling points of view.' His unique voice was described by Daniel Durchholz as sounding 'like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.'

Did You Know?

• Waits was born into a middle-class family in Pomona, California, and moved to Whittier in 1949.
• He began singing on the San Diego folk circuit, inspired by Bob Dylan and the Beat Generation.
• His debut album was Closing Time (1973), followed by The Heart of Saturday Night (1974) and Nighthawks at the Diner (1975).
• He won Grammys for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Contemporary Folk Album for Bone Machine (1992) and Mule Variations (1999).
• Waits has not toured since 2008 and has not issued a new album since 2011.