Tom Waits

Famous for his deep and gravelly voice, Tom Waits is a Jack of many trades. He is a musician, singer, actor, songwriter and composer. Initially, around the 1970s, his focus was on jazz. However, started in the 1980s, he also included other genres such as experimental, vaudeville, rock and blues. His lyrics are about the societies, especially issues of criminality, poverty and nightlife. Ever since his debut albums, Closing Time in 1973 and The Heart of Saturday Night in 1974, Tom Waits have released many singles and albums. He has also made appearances or voiced characters in various films.

Well, how well do you know about Tom Waits? If not much, we have compiled all you need to know about Tom Waits’s net worth in 2021, his age, height, weight, wife, kids, biography and complete details about his life. Well, if you’re all set, here is what we know about Tom Waits to date.

Biography and Early Life

Tom Waits was born as Thomas Alan Waits to Jesse Frank Waits and Alma Fern.  As much as their names remain a mystery, Tom has two sisters and is the middle child. Since his mother was a housewife, his father was the only breadwinner. His job was to teach Spanish at a local school. However, he was also alcoholic. Despite that, he found time to teach his only son how to play the ukulele. His uncle inspired him to adopt his voice because he also had a raspy, gravelly voice.

As much as his birth of place was Pomona, California, he grew up on Whittier, California. However, that changed when his parents separated and Tom, his mother and sisters, relocated in Chula Vista, San Diego.

Age, Height, Weight & Body Measurement

So, how old is Tom Waits in 2021 and what is his height and weight? Well, Tom Waits’s age is 71 years old as of today’s date 2nd August 2021 having been born on 7 December 1949. Though, he is 5′ 10″ in feet and inches and 183 cm in Centimetres tall, he weighs about 174 lbs in Pound and 79kg in Kilograms.

Education

Before his parent’s separation, Tom Waits, attended Jordan Elementary School. They were not fun days for him because he experienced the wrath of bullies. After relocating, he started attending the O’Farrell Community School. While there, he was part of the school band by the name the Systems. However, he did not graduate since he dropped out of school at 18 in 1968.  Later on, he joined the Southwestern Community College, Chula Vista to pursue photography.

Personal Life: Dating, Girlfriends, Wife, Kids

As early as the 1970s, Tom Wait was already dating. Around that period, he had several relationships. For a short period, Waits was in a relationship with Elayne Boosler, a comedian. Her other relationship was an on-and-off entanglement with Bette Midler. Equally important, he was once dating Rickie Lee Jones.

Eventually, he decided to settle down, and that’s when he married Kathleen Brennan in 1980. Since their union, the couple has sired three children. Their firstborn by the name Kellesimone Waits was born in 1983. The other two, Casey Waits and Sullivan Waits, were born in 1985 and 1993, respectively.

Surprisingly, ever since getting a wife and kids, Tom Waits has been fighting tooth and nail to keep his personal life a secret. Even when it comes to interviews, he tries his best not to share something about his personal life.

Is Tom Waits Gay?

The sexual orientation of Tom Waits is straight. He has been married to a beautiful wife for about four decades. Before that, he had been in romantic relationships with at least three women, although at different times. Not even once has Waits been alleged to be dating a fellow man. So, he is also not bisexual.

Professional Career

At first, Tom Waits worked in National City, California, in a pizza restaurant.  He also worked at a local diner. Other jobs were at the Coast Guard and three years as a fireman for the forestry service. At one point, he was a doorman and a singer at the Heritage coffee house. He started working as a songwriter with Herb Cohen and released The Early Years both Volume One and Volume Two. At the same time, he was performing at Troubadour, and that’s where he met David Geffen who signed him with Asylum Records.

Ever since, he has released several albums such as Closing Time, Nighthawks at the Diner, Foreign Affairs, Heartattack and Vine, Rain Dogs and Bone Machine. Others include Bad as Me, Real Gone, Bloody Money, Alice, Mule Variations and The Black Rider, among others.

Tom Waits has also appeared in films such as The Dead Don’t Lie and Seven Psychopaths. An excellent example of his voice acting is voicing Lloyd in The Simpsons.

Awards

In 1982, Tom Waits got an Academy Award nomination for the Original Music Score category. His 10^th Album Bone Machine also won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Alternative Album. In 1993, he received a Mercury Music Award Nomination. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Pop Music Awards awarded him a Founders Award in May 2011 during its 18^th annual ceremony. A track in the Tribute to the Ramones album also got a Grammy Award nomination. He was also a nominee for the 2005 Brits Awards. In March 2011, Neil Young inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Tom Waits in 2021

As of 2021, Tom Waits net worth is approximately $30 million thanks to his several sources of income. As a singer and a musician, he makes money through performances and his singles and albums’ sales. Other earnings come through his ventures as a songwriter and a composer. He also makes money by making appearances in different films and television series. Last but not least, Waits earns money by voicing various characters. With all that, he has amassed the vast net worth.

Some Interesting Facts You Need To Know

• Tom Waits plays instruments such as harmonium, piano, guitar and vocals
• His genres are Blues, Experimental, Jazz and Rock
• He has signed with several labels including Asylum, ANTI- and Asylum
• He was still a teenager when he developed an interest in music
• His sources of inspiration were the Beat Generation and Bob Dylan’s work
• He would often do collaborations with his wife, Kathleen Brennan

Not even his humble beginning stopped Tom Waits from becoming a great person. He had a normal childhood and even experienced a broken family. However, he still made it. In 2015, he was one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time clinching position 55. He has also earned several awards, fame and huge net worth.