Tom Waits
34,341,659 plays (711,841 listeners)
Listening now: clemensey, jazz1968, Zatziki
Pomona, Los Angeles CA, United States (early 1970s – present)
He started his career in the early 1970s as a singer in spit ‘n’ sawdust bars. Initially, he was deeply influenced by the beat generation (poets like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs). He could not make a living from his music, although he was well accepted by the critics. The people at that time didn’t like his classical bar music, pre-rock and americana styles reminiscent of musical genres of the 40’s and 50’s, such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville.
Waits has a devoted cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters, despite having little radio or music video support. In fact, his songs are perhaps best known to the general public in the form of cover versions by more visible artists, such as the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart.
Although Waits’ albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries.
Lyrically, Waits’ songs are known for atmospheric portrayals of bizarre, seedy characters and places, although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional and touching ballads.
While opening for Frank Zappa, the audience catcalled and refused to listen to him. It appeared that Wait’s classical americana and Zappa’s avantgarde jazz Rock were a less than a perfect match. Waits’ voice back then was soft, warm and clear. He sang songs about the losers on the streets: alcoholics, junkies, prostitutes and social outcasts.
Top Albums
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Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
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Closing Time
Tom Waits
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Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
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Bone Machine
Tom Waits
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Top Tracks
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Singapore
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Jockey Full of Bourbon
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Downtown Train
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Rain Dogs
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Cemetery Polka
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Time
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Tango Till They're Sore
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Hang Down Your Head
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Big Black Mariah
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Gun Street Girl
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Anywhere I Lay My Head
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9th & Hennepin
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Videos
See moreNews
Pre-Order 'Glitter and Doom Live'
13 Oct 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits
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Tom Waits To Release 'Glitter and Doom Live' November 24
12 Oct 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits -
Tom Waits Donates Art to Benefit Local School
13 May 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits -
Tom Waits in Phoenix 06/17
18 Jun 2008 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits
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Recent Activity
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jmbelly, kramef, frankcello and 28 other people added Tom Waits to their libraries. 4 minutes ago
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marxito23 tagged Tom Waits with experimental and singer-songwriter. 11 hours ago
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