Tom Paxton (born Thomas Richard Paxton on October 31, 1937) is an American singer and writer of folk music whose songs have had enduring appeal (and include modern standards such as "The Last Thing on My Mind") known for a cynical, often political edge. In 2009, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Paxton was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest child of Burton and Esther Paxton. The Paxton family moved to Bristow, Oklahoma in 1948, where Tom grew to adulthood and which he still considers home.