American singer, songwriter, composer and actor. He has an unmistakable voice that critic Daniel Durchholz described as "sounding like it's been soaked in a bourbon barrel, left in a smokehouse for a few months, then taken outside and run over by a car." The music cannot be described in one word, it is a mixture of various styles: rock, blues, jazz, vaudeville and experimental, close to the industrial style, music grotesque Veits's lyrics are often grotesque and strange, but he also creates more traditional ballads. His music, although rarely heard on radio or television, had a great influence on other, more famous musicians. Waits' "Jersey Girl" was later covered by Bruce Springsteen, "Ol' '55" by The Eagles, "Downtown Train" by Rod Stewart.