“Mostly, I straddle reality and the imagination. My reality needs imagination like a bulb needs a socket. My imagination needs reality like a blind man needs a cane.”

American singer, songwriter, composer and actor, born 1949

Tom Waits is an American singer, songwriter, composer and actor. He emerged from the folk scene in the 1970s and built a career around a voice and style that are instantly recognizable. Born in 1949, he is known for songs that look toward the margins of society and for performances marked by a deep, gravelly delivery. From the 1980s onward, his work drew on a wide range of influences, including rock, jazz, Delta blues, opera, vaudeville, cabaret, funk and experimental sounds. Critics have often noted his gift for creating vivid characters and for writing about the adrift, the lonely and the downtrodden, with a mix of sympathy, grit and dark humor.