Born in Manhattan, New York City, Dowd grew up playing piano, tuba, violin, and string bass.

[2] Dowd planned to obtain a degree in nuclear physics when he completed his work on the Manhattan Project.

He captured jazz performances by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker.

He recorded albums by many artists including Eddie Money, Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Wishbone Ash, New Model Army, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, the Allman Brothers Band, Joe Bonamassa, the J. Geils Band, Meat Loaf, Sonny & Cher, the Rascals, The Spinners, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Eagles, the Four Seasons, Kenny Loggins, James Gang, Dusty Springfield, Eddie Harris, Charles Mingus, Herbie Mann, Booker T. & the M.G.

's, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Ronnie Earl, Joe Castro and Primal Scream.

He died of emphysema on October 27, 2002, in Florida, where he had been living and working at Criteria Studios for many years, a week after his 77th birthday.

[1] In 2003, director Mark Moormann premiered an award-winning documentary about his life entitled Tom Dowd and the Language of Music.