Tom Russell

Tom Russell was born in Los Angeles in 1950 and now makes his home on the border in El Paso, Texas. He graduated from the University of California with a Masters Degree in Criminology and taught school for a year in Nigeria, during the Biafran War. He lived in Spain, then relocated to Vancouver, B.C. where he started at the bottom of the music business, playing in the strip bars along Skid Row. He has since lived in Austin, San Francisco, New York, and El Paso-Juarez. Russell has record eighteen albums of original material�seven on Hightone and five on Rounder-Philo. He's also published two books: a detective novel and a book of songwriting quotes, co-written with Sylvia Tyson called And Then I Wrote: The Songwriter Speaks (Arsenal-Pulp Press: Canada). He has recently appeared twice on "Late Night with David Letterman." His songs appear in the films Songcatcher and Tremors. Russell's songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, Ian Tyson, Suzy Bogguss, Guy Clark, Sylvia Tyson and others. Tom started painting a few years ago for personal pleasure. His art has appeared on his album covers but has never before been offered for sale.