Tom Jones (singer)
Tom Jones (born June 7, 1940 in Pontypridd, Wales) is a Welsh pop singer with a large and powerful voice. His real name is Thomas Jones Woodward. He rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act which involved wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in the style of the fictional hero Tom Jones (from the popular film of Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones).His image quickly changed and, following several UK hits, he became a Las Vegas lounge singer. He was known for being blatantly sexy in the '60s, before this was as common as it is today. Ladies would swoon, scream, and throw their underwear and hotel room keys on stage during his act. His hits during this time include:
- "What's New Pussycat"
- "It's Not Unusual"
- "Delilah"
- "Without Love"
- "The Green, Green Grass of Home", a song that as a result became linked to Jones's native Wales, despite being written about the USA.
Jones's career slumped during his forties and fifties when he became almost a parody of himself. When he appointed his grown-up son as his manager, a further change of image followed, and he is now highly respected by other singers.
He enjoyed a revival in his career when he recorded Prince's song "Kiss" with The Art of Noise in 1988. He subsequently recorded a successful album of duets with other singers, including Cerys Matthews of Catatonia and Kelly Jones of The Stereophonics. He continues to tour and record.
