What is Tom Waits birthday?

Tom Waits was born at 1949-12-07

Where is Tom Waits's birth place?

Tom Waits was born in Pomona, California, United States

What is Tom Waits nationalities?

Tom Waits's nationalities is American

Who is Tom Waits spouses?

Tom Waits's spouses is Kathleen Brennan (m. 1980)

Who is Tom Waits childrens?

Tom Waits's childrens is Casey Xavier Waits, Kellesimone Waits, Sullivan Waits

What was Tom Waits universities?

Tom Waits studied at Hilltop High School

Who is Tom Waits's father?

Tom Waits's father is Alma Fern (née Johnson) McMurray

Who is Tom Waits's mother?

Tom Waits's mother is Jesse Frank Waits

How famous is Tom Waits?

Tom Waits is famouse as Singer, Composer, Actor

Tom Waits - Actors, Career and Childhood

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Table of contents

Personal Details
Photo
Overview
Awards
Timeline
FAQ

American Film & Theater Personalities Actors Musicians Composers Singers Jazz Singers Rock Singers Sagittarius Celebrities

Tom Waits's Personal Details

Tom Waits is a singer cum actor known for his eccentric albums and songs

Information	Detail
Birthday	December 7, 1949
Nationality	American
Famous	Film & Theater Personalities, Actors, Musicians, Composers, Singers, Jazz Singers, Rock Singers
Spouses	Kathleen Brennan (m. 1980)
Known as	Thomas Alan Waits
Childrens	Casey Xavier Waits, Kellesimone Waits, Sullivan Waits
Universities	Hilltop High School
Birth Place	Pomona, California, United States
Height	180
Gender	Male
Father	Alma Fern (née Johnson) McMurray
Mother	Jesse Frank Waits
Net Worth	$25 million as of Jan 15,2017
Sun Sign	Sagittarius
Born in	Pomona, California, United States
Famous as	Singer, Composer, Actor

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Who is Tom Waits?

Tom Waits, born as Thomas Alan Waits, is an American singer and actor famous for his unconventional songs in music genres such as, blues, jazz and vaudeville. Blessed with a distinctive voice that is intoxicating, gravelly and mellow, all at once, he easily carved a niche for himself in the booming music scenario in the America of the 1970s. Along with singing and acting, this talented guy also composes music and writes songs. Never one to adhere to traditions, Waits experimented with different music styles and acting roles, though he also loved to perform conventional ballads. He has a deep love for his profession and has been singing for over four decades now. Because of its unconventional nature his music has received mixed reviews in the United States though he has managed to earn himself a devoted cult following all over the world. His fascination with music started in childhood when he would play music on his neighbour’s piano. He was a great fan of musicians like Bob Dylan, Lord Buckley, Jack Kerouac, and Louis Armstrong. Even though he greatly admired these musicians, he never attempted to imitate any of them—he was more interested in developing his own style that would distinguish him from the other musicians.

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born on 7 December 1949 to Alma Fern McMurray and Jesse Frank Waits in California. Both his parents were schoolteachers who divorced when Tom was young.

He learnt to play the piano at his neighbour’s house and used to travel to Mexico with his father. His exposure to Mexican music at a young age kindled in him a love for all things musical.

He attended Hilltop High School and started playing in local bands. He wanted to be a musician, but was unimpressed by the musical scene in the 1960s; he wanted to do something different.

Career

His musical career began when he was working as a doorman at the Heritage nightclub in San Diego. He got a chance to play his first gig there for which he was paid $6.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1971 and brought out his debut album, the folk influenced ‘Closing Time’ in 1973. The album with its eclectic mix of songs was reviewed very positively by the critics.

He toured a lot over the next few years and also became an alcoholic. His 1976 album, ‘Small Change’ featured somewhat gloomy songs and presented a pessimistic mood.

His 1980 album, ‘Heartattack and Vine’, was his first album to enter the Australian Top 40, reaching 30. By now he was popular not just in the US but also gaining fame in other countries around the world.

During the 1980s he branched out into films and collaborated with Francis Coppola and appeared in Coppola’s movies ‘The Outsiders’ (1983), ‘Rumble Fish’ (1983), and ‘The Cotton Club’ (1984) playing cameos.

Along with his wife Kathleen Brennan he created the musical play ‘Franks Wild Years’ that premiered as an Off-Broadway musical in 1986. He played the lead role himself. The play had a successful run.

He collaborated with theatre director Robert Wilson and writer William S. Burroughs to cerate the avant-garde musical ‘The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets’, in 1990.

In 1993, he brought out the album ‘The Black Rider’ which Waits had written for the eponymous play. Another album, ‘Mule Variations’ was released in 1999 after a gap of six years. He toured extensively after the release of this album.

He released two albums simultaneously in 2002—‘Alice’ and ‘Blood Money’. The songs in both the albums had been written years ago and were based on theatrical collaborations with Robert Wilson.

Tom Waits is considered to a musician’s musician as several other artists have performed various cover versions of his original songs. His most recent album is ‘Bad as Me’ (2011) which was a critical success and received a Grammy Award nomination.

Major Works

His 1976 album, ‘Small Change’ was his first major hit. He was going through a difficult period when was working on the album and thus the songs have melancholy undertones. The album went gold in both Australia and the UK.

Rain Dogs’, counted among the best albums of the 1980s was an album about the “urban dispossessed” of New York City. Known for its broad spectrum of musical styles and genres, it was a hit in Canada and the US.

His Grammy Award winning album, ‘Mule Variations’ was an international hit, charting in 14 countries over the world, peaking at No. 1 on Norway’s album chart. It was accredited gold in the US and Canada.

Awards & Achievements

His album, ‘Bone Machine’ (1992) won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album.

He won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for ‘Mule Variations’ in 2000.

Waits was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2011 by Neil Young in a ceremony held at Waldorf-Astoria.

Personal Life & Legacy

He married Kathleen Brennan, a screenwriter, in August 1980 and became the proud father of three children. His wife has been his biggest support system and collaborator. The couple remains as close as ever even after several years of marriage and Waits calls himself a lucky man.

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Tom Waits's awards

Year	Name	Award
Golden Globe Awards
1994	Short Cuts (1993)	Winner
ASCAP Film And Television Music Awards
2004	Top TV Series	The Wire (2002)

Tom Waits biography timelines

// 7th Dec 1949
He was born on 7 December 1949 to Alma Fern McMurray and Jesse Frank Waits in California. Both his parents were schoolteachers who divorced when Tom was young.
// 1973
He moved to Los Angeles in 1971 and brought out his debut album, the folk influenced ‘Closing Time’ in 1973. The album with its eclectic mix of songs was reviewed very positively by the critics.
// 1976
His 1976 album, ‘Small Change’ was his first major hit. He was going through a difficult period when was working on the album and thus the songs have melancholy undertones. The album went gold in both Australia and the UK.
// 1980
His 1980 album, ‘Heartattack and Vine’, was his first album to enter the Australian Top 40, reaching 30. By now he was popular not just in the US but also gaining fame in other countries around the world.
// 1980
He married Kathleen Brennan, a screenwriter, in August 1980 and became the proud father of three children. His wife has been his biggest support system and collaborator. The couple remains as close as ever even after several years of marriage and Waits calls himself a lucky man.
// 1986
Along with his wife Kathleen Brennan he created the musical play ‘Franks Wild Years’ that premiered as an Off-Broadway musical in 1986. He played the lead role himself. The play had a successful run.
// 1990
He collaborated with theatre director Robert Wilson and writer William S. Burroughs to cerate the avant-garde musical ‘The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets’, in 1990.
// 1992
His album, ‘Bone Machine’ (1992) won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album.
// 1993
In 1993, he brought out the album ‘The Black Rider’ which Waits had written for the eponymous play. Another album, ‘Mule Variations’ was released in 1999 after a gap of six years. He toured extensively after the release of this album.
// 2000
He won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for ‘Mule Variations’ in 2000.
// 2002
He released two albums simultaneously in 2002—‘Alice’ and ‘Blood Money’. The songs in both the albums had been written years ago and were based on theatrical collaborations with Robert Wilson.
// 2011
Waits was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2011 by Neil Young in a ceremony held at Waldorf-Astoria.

// Famous Rock Singers

Tom Waits's FAQ

What is Tom Waits birthday?
Tom Waits was born at 1949-12-07
Where is Tom Waits's birth place?
Tom Waits was born in Pomona, California, United States
What is Tom Waits nationalities?
Tom Waits's nationalities is American
Who is Tom Waits spouses?
Tom Waits's spouses is Kathleen Brennan (m. 1980)
Who is Tom Waits childrens?
Tom Waits's childrens is Casey Xavier Waits, Kellesimone Waits, Sullivan Waits
What was Tom Waits universities?
Tom Waits studied at Hilltop High School
How tall is Tom Waits?
Tom Waits's height is 180
Who is Tom Waits's father?
Tom Waits's father is Alma Fern (née Johnson) McMurray
Who is Tom Waits's mother?
Tom Waits's mother is Jesse Frank Waits
What is Tom Waits's sun sign?
Tom Waits is Sagittarius
How famous is Tom Waits?
Tom Waits is famouse as Singer, Composer, Actor