Tom Waits

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Pomona, Los Angeles CA, United States (1949 – present)

Tom Waits (born Thomas Alan Waits, in Pomona, California, on December 7, 1949) is a prolific American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor.

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, novelists like Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, and poets like Allen Ginsberg and Charles Bukowski. Waits is often compared to Charles Bukowski, being similar both in content and lifestyle, although Waits’s views are more egalitarian than Bukowski’s. Waits was unable to make a living from his music in the 70s because his classical bar music, based in pre-rock, and , , and styles were not popular. Waits’s voice back then was soft, warm and clear.

Waits subsequently developed 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 of more visible artists, such as the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart.

Although Waits’s albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries.
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Top Albums

  • Rain Dogs
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  • Closing Time
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  • Mule Variations
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  • Bone Machine
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Top Tracks

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  • KommisarK

    >listens to Lenny Kravitz >Calls Tom Waits overrated. Oh wow.

    yesterday afternoon

  • brookelogan

    I've been listening to Tom for years and damn, I haven't got bored at all, on the contrary I grow more and more fond of him each day, this music is the best thing ever.

    Sunday evening

  • IlanDatabase

    His voice man, it's like he's been drinking whiskey at age 5 and started smoking at 6. [6]

    Friday afternoon

  • DaJuWi

    stereotyped thinking? ridiculous

    Friday morning

  • optimistic_tour

    "rain dogs" is overrated & "bad as me" is overplayed - an 18 year old

    Friday morning

  • los_garrador

    that feel

    Thursday morning

  • aanggrrr

    His voice man, it's like he's been drinking whiskey at age 5 and started smoking at 6. [5]

    Wednesday morning

  • DaJuWi

    "rain dogs" is overrated & "bad as me" is overplayed

    last week
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News

TomWaits.com Releases Exclusive Red Vinyl Edition of 4 Tom Waits' E/A Albums

1 Nov 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/tomwaits

Ahead of the general December 21 Rhino retail release, TOMWAITS.COM is offering limited edition 180 gram red vinyl versions of Closing Time, The Heart of Saturday Night, Nighthawks at the Diner an...

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