It’s also the day that Leadbelly died. And Pearl Harbor was bombed. Somehow this all seems appropriate. Mr. Waits is 57 today, and in honor of his birthday, I am offering up a bonanza (special thanks to Ted):
California-born Tom Waits has reversed the slow crawl towards conservatism that afflicts most ageing performers as those perishable and pensionable years edge ever closer.
Tom on All Things Considered.
Tom plays The Daily Show (Ted, on Tom’s appearance: “If there is a travesty worse than cutting him off, I don’t know what it is.”)
“Boy, I’d love to lie in the street, nearly dead, with that guy.”
Why Tom makes Jon Stewart nervous.
Tom’s version of Season’s Greetings.
EDIT: Dan Wickett, bound and determined to make sure I stay literary whether I like it or not, has recommended Tyehimba Jess’ collection of poems based on Leadbelly’s life. Thanks, Dan!