Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Tom Waits

Role / Field:

Gravel-voiced chronicler of society's underbelly, blending blues, jazz, and cabaret.

Born:

1949-12-07

Century / Era:

1949s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, composer and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underbelly and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the folk scene during the 1970s, but his music since the 1980s has reflected the influence of such diverse genres as rock, jazz, Delta blues, opera, vaudeville, cabaret, funk and experimental techniques verging on industrial music. 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." Tom Waits was born into a middle-class family in Pomona, California, who then moved to Whittier in 1949.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

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...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ahmed Zaki (actor) — Contemporary (Born in 1949) (1949): Iconic Egyptian actor celebrated for intense dramatic performances and masterful impersonation.
• Alan Menken — Contemporary (Born in 1949) (1949): Award-winning American composer celebrated for Disney film scores and Broadway musicals.
• Alexei Shchusev — Contemporary (Died in 1949) (1949): Master Russian architect spanning Art Nouveau, Constructivism, and Stalinist styles.
• Aaron Carter — Shared historical date (12-07 · Born) (1987): American singer and rapper known for teen pop stardom and enduring musical career.
• Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi — Shared historical date (12-07 · Born) (903): Influential Persian astronomer known for expanding Ptolemaic models and stellar catalogs.
• Alice Bailey — Historical peer (Died in 1949) (1949): American esoteric writer known for neo-theosophical works and pioneering New Age concepts.
• Amadeo Giannini — Historical peer (Died in 1949) (1949): Pioneering American banker who founded the Bank of Italy and influenced modern finance.
• Adrian Willaert — Shared historical date (12-07 · Died) (1562): Pioneering Flemish composer, founder of the Venetian School of Renaissance music.
• Algernon Sidney — Shared historical date (12-07 · Died) (1683): English republican theorist and politician whose works shaped Western thought.
• Armando Manzanero — Shared historical date (12-07 · Born) (1935): Mexican composer and singer, celebrated for defining the romantic sound of postwar Latin America.
• 1949 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1949
• December 7 (12-07) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 7

Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Waits