Tommy McLain is a swamp-pop legend. Best known as a singer, he also plays keyboards, drums, bass guitar, and fiddle. He began performing in the 1950s alongside country singer Clint West. Both musicians were members of The Vel-Tones and later The Boogie Kings in the 1960s, and in 1965 they recorded a duet, “Try to Find Another Man.” McLain also performed on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars during this era and worked as a DJ at Louisiana radio station KREH. His greatest commercial success came with his 1966 recording of “Sweet Dreams,” which reached #15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #49 on the UK Singles Chart.

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McLain also wrote Freddy Fender’s hit “If You Don’t Love Me Alone (Leave Me Alone),” and he appeared with the Mule Train Band in the Paul Newman film The Drowning Pool. His songs and singing style have been praised by artists such as Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, both of whom have cited McLain as an important influence in the development of their own approaches to American roots music.

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In 2011, McLain was featured as a guest artist on Larry Lange and His Lonely Knights’ Austin-based album Wiggle Room. The record includes two McLain compositions, among them “Don’t Make Me Leave New Orleans,” a heartfelt ballad he wrote in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. McLain experienced a late-career revival as well, releasing new material in the 2020s and performing at major festivals—introducing his swamp-pop sound to a brand-new generation of listeners.