He is decidedly not gay & most assuredly not everyone's cup of tea, but not only is he a favorite of the Post Apocalyptic Bohemian, taking up a large section of the Ws in the CD collection, but he is the songwriter of a ditty that I wish to have played at my memorial service. Readers & husbands, take note.
Academy Award nominated & Grammy Award winner, Tom Waits has been one of my most influential musical artists because he has continuously created music outside of fad or fashion. His tunes are off-road adventures taken into the further beyond... way, way gone. Mixing & mashing, songs both sonic & sensual, musical traditions both new & old, & rhythms both mouth-made & sampled from his own instruments. He is equal parts Stephen Foster, Cole Porter, & Bob Dylan.
A successful musician, movie actor, theatre innovator & film composer, Waits has never had a commercial hit; most of his songs are best-known for being covered by other people. He has a huge fan base, but doesn't tour. His razor-sharp wit & lyrical prowess have put him in a category by himself. Just what that category is remains unclear. Waits has a voice soaked in whiskey, aged in the smokehouse & then run over by a 1954 Chevy. He has an obsession with shoes.
I have been listening to Waits for 40 years. I have many favorite Waits songs, but this one means so much to me that I want to leave this world with it as my soundtrack. He lives with his wife in Sonoma. Waits turns 62 today.
Academy Award nominated & Grammy Award winner, Tom Waits has been one of my most influential musical artists because he has continuously created music outside of fad or fashion. His tunes are off-road adventures taken into the further beyond... way, way gone. Mixing & mashing, songs both sonic & sensual, musical traditions both new & old, & rhythms both mouth-made & sampled from his own instruments. He is equal parts Stephen Foster, Cole Porter, & Bob Dylan.
A successful musician, movie actor, theatre innovator & film composer, Waits has never had a commercial hit; most of his songs are best-known for being covered by other people. He has a huge fan base, but doesn't tour. His razor-sharp wit & lyrical prowess have put him in a category by himself. Just what that category is remains unclear. Waits has a voice soaked in whiskey, aged in the smokehouse & then run over by a 1954 Chevy. He has an obsession with shoes.
I have been listening to Waits for 40 years. I have many favorite Waits songs, but this one means so much to me that I want to leave this world with it as my soundtrack. He lives with his wife in Sonoma. Waits turns 62 today.
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