"How great is Tom Russell? Isn't he tremendous? Always the best. I would like to quit my job and travel with him.... if the money could be worked out." - David Letterman, Late Night, 19 April 2006

"Tom Russell is an original, a brilliant songwriter with a restless curiosity and an almost violent imagination." - Annie Prouxl, Pulitzer Prize winning author of 'The Shipping News' & 'Brokeback Mountain"'

"If American Music needs an heir to Johnny Cash, Tom Russell might just be the man, he's the real deal." - UNCUT 5/04

"The greatest living country songwriter in a man named Tom Russell; he's written songs that capture the essence of America, a trait that can only be matched by the country's greatest novelists..." - Rolling Stone, John Swenson

Tom Russell was born in Los Angels in 1950 and now makes his home on the border of El Paso-Juarez. He graduated from the University of California with a Master's Degree in Criminology, taught school in Nigeria during the Biafran War, and then re located to Vancouver, Canada. He began his music career in the bars of Vancouver's skid row. He has since lived in Austin, San Francisco, New York and, finally, on a badlands farm in the desert of West Texas.

Tom Russell has recorded one DVD and 20 albums of original material. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Nanci Griffith, Doug Sahm, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, Ian Tyson and others. He is credited, along with Dave Alvin, with establishing the Americana radio format with their co-produced tribute to Merle Haggard, 'Tulare Dust', released on Hightone in 1994.

Tom Russell has published three books: a detective novel, and songwriting compendium of quotes with Sylvia Tyson 'And then I Wrote: The Songwriter Speaks' (Arsenal-Pulp Press, Canada) and a book of letters with Charles Bukowski 'Tough Company'. His paintings were recently featured in 'Paste' Magazine and a major Exhibition of his art work took place at Yard Dog Folk Art Gallery, Austin, Texas from Feb to April 2006. 21 of the 24 paintings were sold the first few weeks.

Russell's record 'Hotwalker' is the second stage of a three-part American Trilogy which will conclude with a film and CD on the American West though the eyes of a California woman, Claudia Russell. Filming began in January 06. The first part of this trilogy, 'The Man From God Knows Where', was termed "one of the most important folk records ever recorded" by John Lomax III. 'Rolling Stone' and UPI journalist John Swenson noted: " Russell is one of America's great songwriters...this record is as close to a Homeric treatment of American history as we're ever likely to see...when somebody is looking for the equivalent to the Harry Smith anthology in the middle of the next century, 'The Man From God Knows Where' is what they'll discover."

Late last year Tom fronted a 3 part programme about cowboy songs on BBC Radio.

Yep - he is the real deal all right.

www.tomrussell.com