Tom Jans
American Songwriter 1948 - 1984

On this Page:

• Summary Discography

• Biographical Notes

Thomas Jans
Year Book
( probably 1961)

There has been little in the press or the music books about Tom Jans.
These unofficial pages are an attempt to bring together what  information there is.

Discography

1971 Festival at Big Sur
1971 Take Heart
1974 Tom Jans
1976 Eyes of an only child
1977 Dark Blonde
1982 Champion

Link to "The Two Toms and a lost record"
an article about the search for "Champion".

Covers
A list of some of the recordings of Tom Jans' songs by other artistes. This is now a separate page.

Tributes
Whistle down the wind Tom Waits Bone Machine 1992
Best of Friends Mimi Farina Solo 1985
Best of Friends Joan Baez Where are you now my son 1973

Biography
I do not have very much biographical information about Tom Jans. There are some additional comments in the A&M 1974 biography.
Los Angeles based artist Robert Florczak has written A Memoir.

Tom Jans was born on 9th February 1948 in Yakima Washington. His mother was born in Montana and her mother was born in Nebraska. Tom's Grandmother played in an old time western style band called the Rocky Mountain Five. Tom Jans grew up in the Bay Area and focused on English Lit. as a senior, graduating from Willow Glen High School in 1966. He then attended the University of California at Davis, majored in English and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

In her book "And a voice to sing with", Joan Baez says Tom Jans died in a car crash. Henk Dekker in his 1997 article in Platenblad, says Tom Jans was found dead in his house in Brentwood on 25th March 1984. I have been told that Tom was in a serious motorcycle accident prior to his death and the complications from it had a lot to do with his demise.

Can you please help by providing more information ?

Note:
Tom Jans' Date of Birth is usually quoted as 1949
Recently found papers indicate 1948 is correct

Index
Discography
In Concert
Press Cuttings
Cover Recordings
Unrecorded

thanks to maryo, maryj, angela, billh & jr in sunny ca.,
graeme in aus, miken in ny, df in sf, sonjab & hans

photo credit: tom sheehan
London 20th May 1977
(tom, please get in touch if I should pay a royalty for the use of the photographs)

This page updated January 2004 by Geoff ,
GMGough AT Clara.net
 ( replace AT with @ )