Tom Waits is an eclectic
musician,
actor,
poet, and all around
badass. He's been putting out albums since around 1970, including, but not limited to:
(The above is preserved for its wonderful
E1 historical signifigance, whatever that means. Most of the write-ups below are far far more informative.)
Concerning how he got his unique soul-scratching voice, he said the following in an interview on NPR's Fresh Air:
"It's quite simple really. You see, I drink my own urine."