Since the 1973 release of his first album, “Closing Time,” Waits has won over fans with his original songwriting and distinctive, gravelly vocal style. One reviewer calls Waits “the Ultimate hobo boho, a Jack-in-the-box cum storyteller.” Musicians including Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and Rod Stewart have recorded covers of his songs. He has also acted in films, including Sylvester Stallone’s “Paradise Alley,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Down By Law,” and Robert Altman’s “Short Cuts.” Waits has two recent CDs; “Alice” and “Blood Money,” a pair of very different sounding albums, were written and produced by Tom Waits and his wife and long-time collaborator, Kathleen Brennan.
Copyright 2003 Fresh Air