Tom Waits is a singer-songwriter, composer and actor. Described as one of the last beatniks of the contemporary music, Tom Waits – in fact – had two separate careers. From 1973 (Closing Time) to 1983 (One From The Heart soundtrack) he recorded nine LPs for Asylum Records, writing songs mainly in the manner of Tin Pan Alley, mixing them with jazz and blues. Extraordinarily, he never produced a hit, but he earned a cult following all over the world. After leaving Asylum Records for Island Records, Waits released Swordfishtrombones in 1983, a record which marked a sharp turn in Waits’ output, and which gave rise to his reputation as a musical maverick. This second part of his career coincided with his marriage to Kathleen Brennan former writer for Francis Ford Coppola/Zoetrope. His LPs Rain Dogs (1985), Big Time (soundtrack) and The Black Rider are today what Kurt Weill’s music was once. His acting career includes the films, Rumble Fish, Down by Law, Dracula, Coffee and Cigarettes, Shortcuts and Wristcutters: A Love Story.
Aside from being influenced by Kerouac’s work, Tom told us in his interview, “Jack was always very inspiring for me cause I was young and I was looking for a father figure. So, Jack Kerouac was really one of my father figures.”
