Tom Waits

This mercurial artist has periodically redefined himself, never content to let his dogs lie and rest on his laurels. Balladeer for the lonely and downtrodden, absurdist storyteller, Electric Blues musician, sophisticated arranger of lush string sections, troupe leader of a junkyard Salvation Army band, composer for legitimate theater, and actor for both independent and Hollywood feature films. And what does the world make of Tom Waits now? He's generally considered to be one of the most important modern composers working in any genre, having garnered a well-earned reputation for fanatically following his muses wherever they lead, always with a sense of joyous abandon and an innate trust in his ability to find ugly and beautiful truths wherever they may lie. His poetic sensibility reveals an empathy with the plight of modern man, while always maintaining an intelligent and wry sense of humor. His influence can be felt in the work of so many contemporary artists that if he never released another piece of music he would still be guaranteed a huge house in music history heaven. (Although Jewel did misspell his name in her book -- could it adversely affect his career?...)