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 | It's Not Unusual | Simply The Best 60's (Disc 1) |
2 | Delilah (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
3 | The Young New Mexican Puppeteer | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
4 | Da Ya Think I 'm Sexy? | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
5 | Right Place, Wrong Time | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
6 | We Don't Talk Anymore | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
7 | Till | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
8 | Thunderball (From The Film "Thunderball") | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
9 | Chills And Fever | The Best Of . . . Tom Jones |
10 | She 's A Lady | Song Book Disc 3 (The Thrill Of Romance) |
11 | Daughter Of Darkness (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
12 | Whenever I Call You Friend | Song Book Disc 2 (Just A Country Boy) |
13 | Heartache Tonight (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
14 | Got To Get You Into My Life (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |
15 | What In The Worlds Come Over You | Song Book Disc 2 (Just A Country Boy) |
16 | Knock On Wood | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
17 | Fame | Song Book Disc 4 (The Jones Way) |
18 | Makin' The Best Of A Bad Situation | Song Book Disc 2 (Just A Country Boy) |
19 | Without Love (There's Nothing) | Song Book Disc 2 (Just A Country Boy) |
20 | I Write The Songs (Live) | Song Book Disc 1 (Mr. Popular) |