Tom Waits

Tom Waits
December 7, 1949
Valparaiso, Indiana, USA

This two-time Grammy winning Archer is a singer, songwriter, composer and actor with a taste for genuine weirdness.

'I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.'

Thomas Alan Waits is the son of two teachers, Jesse Frank Waits and Alma Johnson McMurray. They were divorced when he was ten. Living with his mother near the Mexican border, he often traveled to Mexico with his father. His love of music began on those trips, listening to the car radio. He went to Hilltop High School in Chula Vista, California and played in an R and B band called The System. Even back then he was all about creating his own style of music, mixing spoken word with song. He did a stint in the Coast Guard, and then started playing at The Troubadour in L.A. In 1971 he made a bunch of demos for Bizarre/Straight records. A short twenty years later those songs were released on a two-volume set called The Early Years. In 1973, he put out Closing Time on Asylum Records but his music remained largely unknown until a couple of his songs were covered by better known artists like Tim Buckley and The Eagles.

His 1974 platter, The Heart of Saturday Night, earned him kudos from critics, and a growing fan base. Next came Nighthawks at the Diner. But by this time he was getting sick of living on the road. 'There's a lifestyle that's there before you arrive and you're introduced to it. It's unavoidable,' he recalled. He recorded Small Change in 1976. His song, 'The Piano Has Been Drinking' was well-received and also served as a way of dealing with his alcohol problem. He was very open about it, saying, 'There ain't nothin' funny about a drunk.' Small Change was his biggest seller to date and landed on Billboard's Top 100 Albums list. He toured with his band, The Nocturnal Emissions, and a new jazz- and blues-infused sound. They released Foreign Affairs in 1977 and Blue Valentine in '78. He also made his film debut as 'Mumbles' the piano player in Sylvester Stallone's 1978 wrestling classic Paradise Alley. In 1980, he recorded Heartattack and Vine and began working with Francis Ford Coppola on an original soundtrack for One from the Heart. That same year, he married movie producer Kathleen Brennan, who had been a writer at Coppola's Zoetrope Studios. About Kathleen he is effusive, saying, 'I'm the prospector, she's the cook. She says, 'you bring it home, I'll cook it up.' I think we sharpen each other like knives. She has a fearless imagination. She writes lyrics that are like dreams. And she puts the heart into all things. She's my true love .... She doesn't like the limelight, but she is an incandescent presence on everything we work on together.' Tom and Kathleen have three children, Kellesimone, Casey and Sullivan.

In 1982, One from the Heart earned Waits an Oscar nod for Best Musical Score. In 1983, he signed with Island Records and put out Swordfishtrombones. By now he had another new sound which included electric megaphones, synthesizers, a dumpster and stuff he found in hardware stores. 'All hardware items must be admired for their sonic properties,' he said. 'Pitchforks, egg beaters, crowbars, fireplace grates, shovels, anvils, rebars, trash cans -- the list goes on and on and they're all waiting to be played.' 1985 saw him come out with three albums: Big Time, Black Rider and Rain Dogs. Rain Dogs took the number 21 spot on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s. In 2003, Rain Dogs came in at Number 397 on the magazine's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Sun in Sagittarius tells us Tom loves to discover new worlds -- new worlds of sound, in particular. He needs a lifestyle that provides travel, variety and opportunities to meet new people. An eternal optimist, he can usually be found pursuing a distant goal. He bounces back from failures, often with another big idea. He has the ability to sense future trends and to see the big picture. He expresses himself in a very open way but he can be rather tactless at times.

Sun in the 9th house means he's into world travel, foreign cultures and studies which expand his intellectual horizons. He likes to ponder abstract concepts and wants answers to life's big questions. Sun square Saturn reveals that feelings of personal inadequacy often plague him. He tends to struggle more than he needs to. Sun sextile Neptune reveals he is receptive to intangible, subtle realms and can easily give or receive wise counsel. Sun trine Pluto tells us he believes in his own strength and ability to prevail over adversity. Powerful, resolute and slightly obsessive, he pursues his goals with complete dedication and single-mindedness. Sun conjunct Mars/ascendant makes him a bit impulsive but with Sun conjunct Saturn/ascendant he is well aware of his limitations. He has a strong desire to go his own way in life. There is a note of gravity to his personality and he appears somewhat gloomy. It is not easy for him to relax and he prefers to work in seclusion.

Moon in Cancer tells us he responds to the emotional tone around him. He can be dominated by his own unpredictable moods, and may appear irrational to others because he cannot always explain the reason for his feelings. Anyone who lives with him must accept his ups and downs and appreciate his need for times of withdrawal. He is also very sympathetic and understands other people's unspoken feelings and needs. With his Moon in the 4th house, he has strong attachments to his past. Moon conjunct Uranus means he has an unusual sense of humor and enjoys acting a little bit crazy or outlandish at times. He craves excitement and likes to break the rules and take risks. He is attracted to offbeat people and nontraditional lifestyles. Moon opposite Sun/Venus guarantees he has a charismatic personality and loves to socialize. He is especially popular with the opposite sex.

Pisces rising tells us he is gentle and sensitive, with a tolerant approach towards life. In a noisy, competitive atmosphere, he is often withdrawn for he is not an aggressive person. Letting things resolve themselves, rather than forcing his will upon them, is often his way of dealing with problems. He needs peaceful surroundings in order to flourish and periods of quiet solitude are essential for his emotional balance and well-being.

Highly compassionate, he cannot bear to see another creature suffer. People in need gravitate to him, sensing his sympathetic nature. Though he's intelligent, he does not take a logical approach toward life. His heart, not his head, guides him, which may bewilder his more rational friends. He certainly recognizes that there is more to life than can be explained rationally. He is adaptable in his attitudes, able to see many different points of view and to accept all of them as valid. Sun square his rising sign tells us that he has a strong desire to be acknowledged and to have a significant influence on the people around him. He may do remarkable things in order to be noticed. However, he may not always get the full recognition he wishes for. Moon trine Pisces means he comes across as sympathetic and approachable. Because he uses his intuition in assessing people, others sense that he understands them. At the same time he really wants people to know how he feels, and that their care and support are very important to him.