Russell, Tom

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. Tom has recorded 25 records and two DVDs. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nancy Griffith, Joe Ely, Iris Dement, Ian Tyson, KD Lang, Suzy Bogguss, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Jeff Walker, Dave Van Ronk and other great artists. He now records for Shout Factory. Tom has also published three books: a detective novel (in Scandinavia), a compendium of songwriting quotes with Sylvia Tyson (And Then I Wrote - Arsenal Press), and a book of letters with Charles Bukowski: (Tough Company: Mystery Island Press). On top of all that he's a painter, and a damn good one at that.