Taylor Swift’s latest album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, was released to fans this morning. The album features a nod to Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas, who has been a source of fascination for musicians for decades. Swift plans to visit Thomas’ birth country when she performs at the Principality Stadium this summer, a concert which sold out within minutes. During the performance, Swift will sing about one of Wales’ most famous sons.
Dylan Thomas was known as a heavy drinker and passed away at the age of 39 while on tour in New York in 1953. Despite his early death, he managed to influence many rock stars, including Bob Dylan and The Beatles, who included his image on one of their album covers. Recently, actor Johnny Depp visited Thomas’ birthplace in Swansea, saying “I’m still floating a little, having been in the room where Under Milk Wood began.”
Thomas was born in Swansea in 1914 and submitted his poetry to a BBC competition, which started him on his path as a writer. His first poetry collection, titled 18 Poems, was well-received by established poets when he moved to London in 1934. In the 1940s, he became a regular presence on the BBC as a scriptwriter, poet, short story reader, and actor.
Thomas married Caitlin Macnamara in 1937 and went on to have three children. The family settled in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, in 1949. The Boathouse, where Thomas wrote many of his works, is still visited by many people today. In 1950, Thomas travelled to the United States to earn some money through a tour, and ended up passing away when he was staying at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. Taylor Swift mentions this hotel in her song about the poet.
Swift fans in Cardiff may get to see a different side of her this summer when she pays tribute to one of Wales’ literary greats
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