Here is an article about Waits vigorous defense of his style.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/ar...ic/20wait.html
Agree with Dad about the trainwreck. Was living in London and saw her right around the time her first record came out and she was a little on the hefty side and sang more in a jazz style. By the time of her second record she had hit the wall big time. We often would go to Camden because it had a few decent live music clubs and you would see the reporters/paps hanging outside of her flat. It was like a death watch.