What Is Tom Waits' Net Worth?
Tom Waits is an American singer-songwriter and actor who has a net worth of $10 million. Tom Waits taught himself piano and played with the band the Systems during high school. He performed in various clubs all over Los Angeles and recorded his first tracks under the Bizarre/Straight Label in the early '70s. He was signed to Asylum Records in 1972 and released his first album, "Closing Time" in 1973. Though the album was not commercially successful, multiple well-known artists covered tracks from it, and by the mid-1970s, he was touring, opening for such artists as Frank Zappa and Martha and the Vandellas. Tom broke into the mainstream with the 1979 release of "Small Change." He has released dozens of albums, been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards (winning two), and was also nominated for an Oscar for his score for the film "One from the Heart." He is also an actor and has appeared in such films as "The Outsiders," "The Cotton Club," "Bram Stoker's Dracula," and "The Book of Eli."
Early Life
Tom Waits was born Thomas Alan Waits on December 7, 1949, in Whittier, California. He grew up with his older sister and younger sister and his parents, Jesse Frank and Alma Fern. His mother managed the household while his father taught Spanish at the local school. His father was an alcoholic, and Waits later described him as rather a tough man. Tom attended Jordan Elementary School, where he was bullied. During this period of time, he learned to play the bugle and guitar.
In 1959, his parents separated, and his father moved away from the family house. His mother took the children and relocated to Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego. Waits began attending O'Farrell Community School, where he started a band called the Systems. He then began studying at Hilltop High School and was inspired by the 1950s Beat Generation, developing a love of writers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs. At the age of 18, Tom dropped out of high school. He then began working at Napoleone's pizza restaurant in National City, California. He later worked in the forestry service as a fireman for three years and served in the Coast Guard. Waits then returned to school and enrolled at Chula Vista's Southwestern Community College, where he studied psychology and also continued his musical interests.
Career
In 1969, Waits began working as an occasional doorman for the Heritage coffeehouse, which held regular performances from folk musicians. He sometimes sang at Heritage as well, and his set largely consisted of covering Bob Dylan and Red Sovine. He also began developing his own material over time. Waits started performing at other venues around San Diego before moving to Los Angeles to play at the Troubadour, a famed West Hollywood venue. There, he caught the attention of Herb Cohen, who signed him to a publishing contract and a recording contract. The recordings that were produced under that contract were later released in the early 1990s as "The Early Years Volume One" and "The Early Years Volume Two." Around this time, when living in Los Angeles, Tom met David Geffen, who gave him a new recording contract with Asylum Records. The resulting album was "Closing Time."
To promote his debut album, Waits embarked on a U.S. tour where he performed as the supporting act for other established artists like Tom Rush, Danny O'Keefe, and Charles Rich, among others. He later began recording his second album, "The Heart of Saturday Night." Tom then toured with Frank Zappa, which bolstered his image and helped his career. In May 1976, he embarked on his first European tour. A few months later, he recorded the album "Small Change," which was critically well-received and marked his first break into the "Billboard" 200 chart. He received much more press attention for the album as well.
In July and August of 1977, Waits recorded his fourth album, "Foreign Affairs." This album was not as well-received by critics as its predecessor and failed to make the "Billboard" 200 album chart. He then shifted to a more jazz-oriented sound a few years later for his album "Blue Valentine." Tom recorded his final album under contract with Elektra-Asylum called "Heartattack and Vine."
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Around this time, Waits decided he needed to reinvent himself artistically. His next album, "Swordfishtrombones," was recorded during a two-week trip to Ireland, and he produced the album himself. The album abandoned the jazz sound characteristic of his earlier work. In 1985, Tom recorded his eighth studio album, "Rain Dogs." His sound continued to evolve over the years and did earn him more critical acclaim, particularly his albums in the 1990s like "The Black Rider," "Bone Machine, " and "Mule Variations." "Bone Machine" won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. "Mule Variations" also did well, earning him the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album was also named Album of the Year by "Mojo" magazine. In 2004, he released his fifteenth studio album, "Real Gone." He released his most recent studio album, "Bad as Me," in 2011.
In addition to his music career, Waits has done some acting work. Some films he has been in include "Domino," "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "The Book of Eli," and "The Dead Don't Die," among many others.
While Waits did not experience commercial or chart success during his career, he has attracted a cult fan following over the course of his career. He was included on the 2010 list of "Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers" and the 2015 list of "Rolling Stone's Greatest Songwriters of All Time." His sons have been covered by many musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Bob Seger, The Ramones, and Norah Jones.
Personal Life
In the 1970s, Waits had a brief relationship with comedian Elayne Boosler. He also had relationships with Bette Midler and Rickie Lee Jones. In 1980, he married frequent collaborator Kathleen Brennan. They had three children together—Kellesimone in 1983, Casey in 1985, and Blake in 1993. After marrying and having children, Waits became increasingly reclusive to protect the privacy of his family. He has often deflected questions about his personal life in interviews and has not sanctioned any official biographies.
