Mark William Lanegan was an American singer, songwriter and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He released 12 solo studio albums as well as three collaboration albums with Isobel Campbell and two with Duke Garwood. He was known for his baritone voice, which was described as being "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather" and has been compared to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.
Lanegan began his musical career in 1984 in Screaming Trees, with whom he released seven studio albums and five EPs before their disbandment in 2000. During his time with the band, he also began a solo career and released his first solo studio album, The Winding Sheet, in 1990. He then released 10 more solo albums, which received critical recognition but only moderate commercial success. Following the end of Screaming Trees, he became a frequent collaborator of Queens of the Stone Age and was a full-time member between 2001 and 2005 during the Songs for the Deaf and Lullabies to Paralyze eras.