Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, KBE (born 7 June 1940), best known by his stage name, Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop singer particularly noted for his powerful voice. He was born in Treforest, near Pontypridd in South Wales. He rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act which included wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in an Edwardian style popular amongst his peers at the time. He was known for his overt sexuality, before this was as common as it became in subsequent years. In 1963 he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a local beat group. Clad all in black leather, Tom soon gained a reputation in the South Wales area. The Senators were still all unheard of in London. In 1964 they laid down a few tracks with maverick Telstar producer Joe Meek, and took them to various labels in an attempt to get a record deal. The plan was to release a single, Lonely Joe/I Was A Fool, but the ever-flighty Meek refused to release the tapes. The group returned to South Wales and continued to play gigs at dance halls and working mens clubs. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery, Tom was spotted by Gordon Mills, a London-based manager originally from South Wales. Mills became Tom's manager, and took the young singer to London. He also renamed him Tom Jones. The Senators became the Playboys, and later still the Squires. Jones was awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist for 1965. It's Not Unusual, was an instant smash hit. The song reached number one in the UK and the top ten in America. In 1965 Tom sang the theme tune to the James Bond film Thunderball. In 1999 he recorded the blockbuster album "Reload", a collection of duets with some of the year's brightest stars, which brought him back into the limelight. On New Year's Eve 2000 President Bill Clinton invited Tom to perform at the Millennium Celebrations in Washington. Throughout 2000, Tom garnered several honour
1 | Fools Rush In (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
2 | Daughter Of Darkness (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
3 | Don't Cry For Me Argentina | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
4 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
5 | Lady Madonna | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
6 | Unchained Melody | Song Book Disc 3 (The Thrill Of Romance) |
7 | Send In The Clowns (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
8 | Green, Green Grass Of Home | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
9 | Save The Last Dance For Me | Song Book Disc 3 (The Thrill Of Romance) |
10 | Just Like Starting Over | Song Book Disc 3 (The Thrill Of Romance) |
11 | Detroit City | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
12 | I Write The Songs (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
13 | Take It To The Limit | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
14 | I'm Coming Home | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
15 | Da Ya Think I 'm Sexy? | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
16 | He Stopped Loving Her Today | Song Book Disc 2 (Just A Country Boy) |
17 | Endless Love | Song Book Disc 3 (The Thrill Of Romance) |
18 | Middle Age Crazy | Song Book Disc 2 (Just A Country Boy) |
19 | Let It Be | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
20 | I (Who Have Nothing) | Song Book Disc 3 (The Thrill Of Romance) |