Tom Kimmel is one of those unique
singer-songwriters whose heartfelt artistry with words and music is both genre-crossing and timeless. Since 1980, when his songs were recorded by Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman (of Byrds fame) and Levon Helm (of The Band), dozens of his compositions have been covered by a host of major artists including Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, Joe Cocker, Shawn Colvin, Waylon Jennings, the Stray Cats, Randy Travis and the Spinners.
Despite his success as a songwriter, Tom has always been a performer first, connecting as deeply with his audiences as he does with his songs. Once an eclectic rock and roller, Tom found his voice as a singer-songwriter while opening Nanci Griffiths 1991-92 world tour. A New Folk winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 93, he began performing as a solo act, stressing a lean, acoustic-centered approach to his music and bringing a poignant and humorous spirit to his poetry and storytelling.
Toms peers have joined critics in commending the Alabama native's unadorned stylings as uniquely soulful. Irish songstress Maura OConnell, who has recorded haunting versions of Toms The Blue Train and Poetic Justice, says, "Tom is an incredible songwriter... And he seems to be getting better as the years go on." Crow Johnson, former ZMN publisher, calls Tom a "singers singer, writers writer." And according to The Nashville Scene, "Tom Kimmel's moody textured songwriting reaches into soulful realms that few Music Row pros enter."
After releasing two critically praised major label albums (in 87 and 90), Tom made his first independent album in 1994. Bones, a collection of live recordings, was followed by Short Stories, which featured guest performances by Emmylou Harris, The Fairfield Four, Gillian Welch, Jerry Douglas and other friends. Shallow Water, released in 2002, is a collection of spirit-infused songs and hymns, and Tom's latest album, Light of Day, features vibrant, spare voice-and-guitar recordings written and produced by Tom in his home studio. A volume of poetry, The Sweetest & the Meanest, was released in January 2006.
Featured in motion pictures such as Runaway Bride, Serendipity, and Twins, and in television shows as varied as Captain Kangaroo, Miami Vice and Touched By An Angel, recordings of Toms compositions have sold millions of copies around the world, achieving gold and platinum sales in many countries.
An avid whitewater enthusiast, Tom has kayaked through the Grand Canyon, in the remote Himalayan kingdoms of Bhutan and Nepal, and in the mountains of Costa Rica, Mexico and France.
A graduate of the University of Alabama, he was born in Memphis and raised in rural south Alabama. Along with his artistic endeavors he is a long time student of Siddha Yoga Meditation and is a Practitioner of Yoga for the Emotional Body, a spirit-centered therapy.
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