Tom Paxton Biography
Tom Paxton (born Thomas Richard Paxton) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has had a music career spanning more than fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He is noteworthy as a music educator as well as an advocate for folk singers to combine traditional songs with new compositions.
10 Quick Facts About Tom Paxton
Here is a list of 10 facts
- Name: Thomas Richard Paxton
- Age: 86 years
- Birthday: October 31st
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Height: Not known
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Folk music singer
- Marital Status: Not Known
- Salary: Under review
- Net worth: $5 million
Tom Paxton Age
Tom Paxton is 86 years as of 2023. He was born on October 31, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Paxton celebrates his birthday on October 31st every year. His birth sign is Scorpio.
Tom Paxton Height
Tom Paxton’s height is not available at the moment. We shall keep you posted as soon as we get it from a credible source.
Tom Paxton Weight
Tom’s weight and other body measurements are not available at the moment. We shall keep you posted as soon as we get any information about them.
Tom Paxton Early Life and Education
Paxton was born on October 31, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. In 1955, Paxton enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, where he studied in the drama school. Here, he first found other enthusiasts of folk music and discovered the music of Woody Guthrie and The Weavers. In college, he was in a group known as the Travellers, and they sang in an off-campus coffeehouse.
Tom Paxton Family, Parents, and Siblings
Paxton was born to his parents in Chicago, Illinois. His father is Burt and his mother is Esther Paxton. His father was a chemist, mostly self-educated, and as his health began to fail him, the family moved to Wickenburg, Arizona.
While here, Tom began riding horses at the numerous dude ranches in the area. It was also here that he was first introduced to folk music, discovering the music of Burl Ives and others. In 1948, the family moved again to Bristow, Oklahoma and Soon after, his father died from a stroke.
Tom Paxton Wife
Paxton met his wife Margaret Ann Cummings (Midge) at the Gaslight one night in January 1963 after being introduced to her by David Blue. They got married in 1963 and together they have two daughters, Jennifer is a history professor who has published courses for The Teaching Company, and Kate and three grandsons. Midge Paxton died in 2014 after a long illness.
Tom Paxton Children
Paxton and his wife have two daughters, Jennifer is a history professor who has published courses for The Teaching Company, and Kate and three grandsons.
Tom Paxton Net Worth
Tom Paxton has an estimated net worth of $5 million dollars as of 2023. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career. Through his various sources of income, he has been able to accumulate good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Tom Paxton Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Tom.
Tom Paxton Wiki
- Full Names: Thomas Richard Paxton
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Folk song singer
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Not Known
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Tom Paxton Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 86 years
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Date of Birth: October 31, 1937
- Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois
- Birthday: October 31st
Tom Paxton Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: To be updated
- Height / How Tall?: Not known
- Weight: To be updated
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: Brown
Tom Paxton Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Burt Paxton
- Mother: Esther Paxton
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): To be updated
- Marital Status: Married
- Wife/Spouse: Margaret Ann Cummings
- Children: Two
Tom Paxton Networth and Salary
- Net Worth: $5 million
- Salary: To be updated
- Source of Income: His career
Tom Paxton House and Cars
- Place of living: Not known
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Tom Paxton Career
In 1959, after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Paxton acted in summer stock theatre and briefly tried graduate school before joining the Army. While attending the Clerk Typist School in Fort Dix, New Jersey, he began writing songs on his typewriter and spent almost every weekend visiting Greenwich Village in New York City during the emerging early 1960s folk revival.
Shortly after his honorable discharge from the Army, he auditioned for the Chad Mitchell Trio in 1960 through publisher Milt Okun. He initially received the part, but his voice did not blend well enough with those of the group members. However, after singing his song “The Marvelous Toy” for Okun, he became the first writer signed to Milt’s music publishing company, Cherry Lane Music Publishing.
Soon Paxton began performing at The Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village, where he became a mainstay. In 1962, he recorded a privately produced live album at the Gaslight entitled, I’m the Man That Built the Bridges. During his stay in Greenwich Village, he published some of his songs in the folk magazines Broadside and Sing Out! Also, he performed alongside such folksingers as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Eric Andersen, Dave Van Ronk, and Mississippi John Hurt.
In 1963, Pete Seeger picked up on a few of Tom Paxton’s songs, including Ramblin’ Boy (which Seeger performed at The Weavers reunion concert at Carnegie Hall) and What Did You Learn in School Today? Paxton increased his profile as a performer, appearing at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, which was recorded by Vanguard Records.
After returning to New York, in 1964 Paxton signed with Elektra Records. A label that at that time featured a distinguished roster of folk musicians. He would go on to record seven albums for Elektra. In 1964, he took part in the Freedom Summer and visited the Deep South, with other folk musicians, to perform at voter registration drives and civil rights rallies.
Tom Paxton Tour
In 1965, he made his first tour of the United Kingdom. The tour was the beginning of a still-thriving professional relationship that has included yearly performances there. He met Bruce Woodley, one of the founding members of the Australian folk group The Seekers. They collaborated on the song Angeline (Is Always Friday) which The Seekers recorded and featured in their concerts, TV shows, and a DVD. In 1967, the rock group Clear Light recorded a menacing and lengthy psychedelic version of Paxton’s song Mr. Blue on their only album Clear Light.
Tom Paxton Songs
- I’m the Man That Built the Bridges [live] (Gaslight, 1962)
- Ramblin’ Boy (Elektra, 1964)
- Ain’t That News! (Elektra, 1965)
- Outward Bound (Elektra, 1966)
- Morning Again (Elektra, 1968)
- The Things I Notice Now (Elektra, 1969)
- Tom Paxton 6 (Elektra, 1970)
- The Compleat Tom Paxton [live in June 1970 at the Bitter End nightclub, Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, New York City] (Elektra, 1971)
- How Come the Sun (Reprise, 1971)
- Peace Will Come (Reprise, 1972)
- New Songs for Old Friends [live] (Reprise, 1973)
- Children’s Song Book (Bradleys, 1974)
- The Marvelous Toy and Other Gallimaufry (Cherry Lane / Flying Fish, 1984))
- Something in My Life (Private Stock, 1975)
- Saturday Night (MAM, 1976)
Tom Paxton Awards and Accomplishments
- February 2002: he was honored with the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award in Folk Music. He received three Wammies (Washington, DC, Area Music Awards); as Best Male Vocalist in the “traditional folk” and “children’s music” categories, and for Best Traditional Folk Recording of the Year for “Under American Skies” (2001).
- 2009: honored also with a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and the formal announcement was made during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards telecast, which aired on February 8, 2009.
- 2004: the Martin Guitar Company introduced the HD-40LSH Tom Paxton Signature Edition acoustic guitar in his honor.
- 2005: he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards at London’s Brewery Arts Centre.
- 2006: he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance.
- 2007: he was honored with an official Parliamentary tribute at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at the start of his 2007 UK tour.
- 2008: he was honored with a special lifetime tribute from the World Folk Music Association, and a concert was held at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton (born Thomas Richard Paxton) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has had a music career spanning more than fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He is noteworthy as a music educator as well as an advocate for folk singers to combine traditional songs with new compositions.
Tom Paxton is 86 years as of 2023. He was born on October 31, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Tom’s height is not available at the moment. We shall keep you posted as soon as we get it from a credible source.
Paxton met his wife Margaret Ann Cummings (Midge) at the Gaslight one night in January 1963 after being introduced to her by David Blue. They got married in 1963 and together they have two daughters.
Tom Paxton has an estimated net worth of $5 million dollars as of 2023. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career.
At the moment we do not have any information about Paxton’s salary. We are keeping tabs on him and we shall keep you posted as soon as we get the information.
Because of security reasons, he has not revealed the precise location of his residence. We shall upload the image and address of his house as soon as we get them.
Tom is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
Paxton is still an active participant in the creative entertainment industry. He is still pursuing his career as a folk music singer.
Tom Paxton Social Media Contacts
Paxton is highly active on social media, maintaining a strong presence across various platforms like Instagram, Twitter Facebook, Youtube, and Tik Tok. Through these channels, he connects with his fans, shares new content, and updates, and cultivates a loyal community around his work. Stay Connected by following his official accounts below:
- Website
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