Thomas Alan Waits is an American singer, songwriter, composer and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld 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.
Tom Waits was born in a middle-class family in Pomona, California then moved to Whittier in 1949, his family lived on Kentucky Avenue (and briefly Pickering Ave.), 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 moved to Los Angeles in 1972, where he worked as a songwriter before signing a recording contract with Asylum Records. His debut album was Closing Time (1973), and The Heart of Saturday Night (1974) and Nighthawks at the Diner (1975) followed. He toured the United States, Europe, and Japan, finding greater critical and commercial success with Small Change (1976), Blue Valentine (1978), and Heartattack and Vine (1980).