Sir Thomas Jones Woodward[1][2] (bornThomas John Woodward; 7 June 1940) is a Welsh singer. His career began with a string of top 10 hits in the 1960s and he has since toured regularly, with appearances inLas Vegas from 1967 to 2011. His voice has been described byAllMusic as a "full-throated, robustbaritone".[3]
Thomas John Woodward[9] was born at 57 Kingsland Terrace inTreforest in Wales on 7 June 1940,[10][11][12][13][14] the son of Freda Jones (1914–2003) and coal miner Thomas Woodward (1910–1981).[9] He is primarily of English descent. His maternal grandfather was Welsh, and his maternal grandmother was born in Wales to English parents fromSomerset andWiltshire. His English paternal grandfather was fromGloucestershire, and his English paternal grandmother was from Wiltshire.[15]
He attended Wood Road Infants School, Wood Road Junior School, and Pontypridd CentralSecondary Modern School.[16] He began singing at an early age; he would regularly sing at family gatherings, weddings, and in his school choir. He did not like school or sports, but gained confidence through his singing talent.[17] At the age of 12, he was diagnosed withtuberculosis. Many years later, he said, "I spent two years in bed recovering. It was the worst time of my life." During this time, he could do little else but listen to music and draw.[9]: 9–10
Career
Rise to fame
Jones's voice has been described as a "full-throated, robustbaritone".[3] According to Jones himself, his young voice was atenor voice. He said: "What you lose on the top end, you gain on the bottom end. I used to be able to hit a top C when I was young now it's a B flat."[18] He became the frontman in 1963 for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a Welshbeat group. They soon gained a local following and reputation inSouth Wales. In 1964, the group recorded several solo tracks with producerJoe Meek, who took them to various record labels, but they had little success. Later that year,Decca producer Peter Sullivan saw Tommy Scott and the Senators performing in a club and directed them to managerPhil Solomon, but the partnership was short-lived.
The group continued playing gigs around South Wales.Gordon Mills met Jones, became his manager, and introduced him to London, where Mills worked in music.[19] Mills renamed him "Tom Jones", to exploit the popularity of the Academy Award-winning1963 film.[20]
Eventually, Mills got Jones a recording contract withDecca. His first single, "Chills and Fever", was released in late 1964. It did not chart, but the follow-up, "It's Not Unusual", became an internationalhit after offshorepirate radio stationRadio Caroline promoted it. The following year was the most prominent of Jones's career, making him one of the most popular vocalists of theBritish Invasion. In early 1965, "It's Not Unusual" reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom and the top ten in the United States. During 1965, Mills secured a number of film themes for Jones to record, including theJames Bond filmThunderball,[21] andWhat's New Pussycat? (written byBurt Bacharach andHal David).[21][22] Jones was sceptical about the latter song when first approached about it. He said when it was offered to him, he felt it was "sort of a backhanded compliment: 'I've got to have you, but this is the song.'"[22] Jones said it took convincing from Bacharach to perform "What's New Pussycat?":
"When I first heard it I thought, 'Christ! What the bloody hell do they want me to sing this for?' But Burt Bacharach explained, 'I want the big voice to sing this bloody crazy song.' And you put it on, it's a classic."[22]
Jones was awarded theGrammy Award for Best New Artist in 1966.[23] During a filming break at Paramount Studios (1965) in Hollywood, Jones metElvis Presley for the first time;[24] he recalls Presley singing, "With These Hands" as he walked towards him from the film set.[25] The two men became good friends.[26]
In 1966, Jones's popularity began to slip somewhat, causing Mills to reshape the singer's image into that of acrooner. Jones also began to sing broader material. Jones soon topped UK charts and reached the top 40 in US charts. Over the next few years he scored a string of hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "I'm Coming Home", and "Delilah", each of which reached No. 2 in the UK chart.[27][28]
1967 to 1987
In 1967, Jones performed inLas Vegas for the first time, at theFlamingo.[21] His performances and style of dress became part of his stage act, and increasingly featured his open, half-unbuttoned shirts and tight trousers. He soon chose to record less and focus on club performances. Jones played in Las Vegas at least one week each year until 2011.
Jones had an internationally successful television variety show titledThis Is Tom Jones from 1969 to 1971. TheAssociated Television-produced show was worth a reportedUS$9,000,000 (equivalent to about $69,900,000 in 2024) to Jones over three years. It was broadcast byITV in the UK and by theAmerican Broadcasting Company in the US. As a result of the show, Jones was nominated in 1970 fora "best actor" Golden Globe.[29] From 1980 to 1981, he had a second television variety show,Tom Jones, which was produced inVancouver, Canada, and lasted 24 episodes.[citation needed]
Both television shows were the subject of litigation with the original licence holderC/F International. As of December 2004[update], C/F International was a secured judgment creditor ofClassic World Productions and its principal, Darryl Payne, for approximatelyUS$1,000,000 (equivalent to about $1,700,000 in 2024), and was the principal secured creditor at the time of the subsequent bankruptcy filing by the company. C/F International's action against Classic World Productions and owner Darryl Payne was based on unpaidroyalty payments fromThis Is Tom Jones[30] and related recordings.[31]This Is Tom Jones is sold on DVD byTime Life rather than by Classic World Productions or C/F International.[32]
C/F International's rights to later Tom Jones material were also disputed. In March 2007, Tom Jones and Tom Jones Enterprises sued C/F International to stop the company from licensing sound recordings made from the 1981Tom Jones series. It was contended that any rights that C/F International had to license theTom Jones show did not include the right to make and license separate recordings of the performances on the show, and that any rights that C/F International had in theTom Jones show no longer existed because of numerous breaches of contract.[33] Examples of contentious CDs areLive on the Tom Jones Show, released in 2006, andGreatest Hits Live, originally issued by C/F International in 1981 and later licensed to and issued by Prism Leisure Corporation as30 Greatest Hits – Live in Concert.[34][35][36]
In the 1970s, Jones toured with the female singing groupsQuiet Elegance andthe Blossoms as his backing groups. He had a number of hit singles, including "She's a Lady", "Till", and "The Young New Mexican Puppeteer", but in the mid-1970s his popularity declined. He did, however, have a big hit in 1976 with "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow", which went to No. 1 on the US country chart, No. 15 on theBillboard Hot 100 and No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart.
In 1972, he co-starred withJennifer O'Neill in David Winters's television specialThe Special London Bridge Special.[38] Jones explained that he accepted to do the special because it allowed him to continue doing television without having the confinement of a series.[39]
In 1976, Jones was set to make his film debut in the filmYockowald, in which he was to play aCIA assassin. The film was shelved after the production ran out of money three weeks into filming.[40]
In 1979, Jones made his acting debut inPleasure Cove, anABC television film which was a pilot for a potential television series but was not picked up. In the film, he played a suave conman named Raymond Gordon staying at the holiday island resort of the title. His co-stars in the film includedConstance Forslund,Tanya Roberts andDavid Hasselhoff.[9]: 326 In 1984, he guest-starred in an episode of the television seriesFantasy Island as an accountant who fantasises about living life asDick Turpin.[41]
In the early 1980s, Jones started to record country music. From 1980 to 1986, he had nine songs in the US country top 40, yet failed to crack the top 100 in the UK or theBillboard Hot 100.[42] Jones's manager Gordon Mills died of cancer on 29 July 1986, and Jones's son Mark became his manager.[9]: 271, 275
In 1996, Jones appeared as himself inTim Burton's ensemble science-fiction comedy filmMars Attacks!. A scene in the film features him performing on stage when aliens attack and he manages to escape with a gun.[47]
US PresidentBill Clinton invited Jones to perform on New Year's Eve at the 2000 millennium celebrations in Washington, D.C. In 2000, Jones garnered a number of honours for his work, including aBRIT Award for Best British Male.[50] He was also hired as the new voice of Australia'sNational Rugby League, singing in an advertisement to market the 2000 season.[51]
In 2002, Jones released the albumMr. Jones, which was produced by Haitian-American rapperWyclef Jean. The album and the first single, "Tom Jones International", were top 40 hits in the UK.[53]
Jones received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2003.[50] The following year he performed "You Can Leave Your Hat On" withthe Pussycat Dolls andCarmen Electra on the seventh annualVh1 Divas concert. The only male guest part of that year's lineup; which includedPatti LaBelle,Gladys Knight, andDebbie Harry among many others; his cover of "Kiss" was included in an80s finale medley. Later that year, he teamed up with pianistJools Holland and releasedTom Jones & Jools Holland, a roots rock 'n' roll album. It peaked at No. 5 in the UK.[42][54]
On 28 May 2005, in celebration of his upcoming 65th birthday, Jones returned to his homeland to perform a concert inYnysangharad Park, Pontypridd, before an audience of about 20,000. This was his first performance in Pontypridd since 1964.[55] In 2005, the BBC reported that Jones was Wales's wealthiest entertainer, having amassed a fortune of £175,000,000.[56] Jones collaborated with Australian pop singerJohn Farnham in 2005 and released the live albumJohn Farnham & Tom Jones – Together in Concert. The following year, Jones worked withChicane and released the dance track "Stoned in Love", which went to No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart.[42]
Jones, who had been made anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999, wasknighted by QueenElizabeth II in 2006 atBuckingham Palace for his services to music.[57][58] After receiving a knighthood, Jones stated: "When you first come into show business and get a hit record, it is the start of something. As time goes by it just gets better. This is the best thing I have had. It's a wonderful feeling, a heady feeling."[57]
In 2008, he released24 Hours onS-Curve Records, his first album of new material to be issued in the United States for over 15 years. Jones, who was still performing over 200 dates a year as he approached his seventieth birthday, set out on a world tour to promote the album. "The fire is still in me. Not to be an oldie, but a goodie. I want to be a contender", Jones said.[63][64][65] Also in 2008, Jones was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. On 16 November 2008, he was invited to perform on BBC'sStrictly Come Dancing; he performed the debut single from24 Hours, "If He Should Ever Leave You", which was named the ninth-best song of 2008 bySpinner.[66][67][68] One of the songs from24 Hours, "Give a Little Love", would later be featured in the first trailer for the 2010 comedy film,Little Fockers.
In March 2009, Jones went to the top of the UK Music Charts for the third time in his career with a cover of "Islands in the Stream", sung withRuth Jones,Rob Brydon andRobin Gibb, who co-wrote the original with his brothersBarry andMaurice. The record, which was inspired by the song's having featured in the BBC's hit sitcomGavin & Stacey, was released in aid ofComic Relief and reached No. 1 in March 2009.[69] This was his first UK chart topper since "Green, Green Grass of Home" in 1967, setting a new record of 42 years between two UK number ones; this record would be surpassed byKate Bush when "Running Up That Hill" topped the charts in 2022, a 44-year gap between number ones.[70]
On 7 June 2010, which was Jones's seventieth birthday, the single "Burning Hell", a cover of the John Lee Hooker song from thePraise & Blame album, was released. In July 2010, it was reported that David Sharpe, vice-president ofIsland Records (to whom Jones had moved, fromEMI, for £1.5m in October 2009), had told his colleagues over email to "pull back this project immediately or get my money back" and asked whether the spiritually themed record had been a "sick joke".[73] Jones later strongly criticised Sharpe and said that he was furious about the leaked email.[74]
In July 2010 Jones appeared on the penultimate episode ofFriday Night with Jonathan Ross and performed "Burning Hell". In August 2010,Praise & Blame debuted at No. 2 on the UK album chart.[75] By 2010 Jones had sold a total of over 100 million records.[76]
In May 2011 Jones appeared as a guest vocalist on the debut albumLet Them Talk byHugh Laurie. On 15 May 2011, he appeared alongside Laurie in the UKITV seriesPerspectives, singing music from the album inNew Orleans.[78] On 25 May 2011, he appeared onAmerican Idol after a medley of his hits performed by the American Idol "Top 13".[79]
Jones released a single on 19 March 2012, produced by formerWhite Stripes frontmanJack White, calledEvil.[80] The single was first made available through independent record shops in 7" vinyl format on 5 March.[81] An exclusivethree-coloured vinyl was also sold at only one shop –Spillers Records inCardiff. The shop, which Jones visited as a boy, was founded in 1894 and is listed inGuinness World Records as the world's oldest record shop.[82]
Jones experienced a resurgence in notability in the 2010s due to his coaching role on the BBC talent showThe Voice UK from 2012 (with the exception of 2016).[83] In March 2012 he became a coach on the show and was joined bywill.i.am,Jessie J andDanny O'Donoghue. He mentoredLeanne Mitchell to win the first series. Jones returned to coach in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In August 2015, it was announced that Jones's contract with the show would not be renewed and that he would be replaced byBoy George. Jones criticised BBC executives for "sub-standard behaviour", having not consulted with him and informing him only 24 hours before the official announcement.[84]
In September 2015 Jones announced the long-awaited release of his albumLong Lost Suitcase, on 9 October, through Virgin/EMI. The album was the last in a trilogy, followingPraise & Blame (2010) andSpirit in the Room (2012). The track titles are included in chapters of Jones' autobiographyOver the Top and Back which was released at the same time. The album was produced byEthan Johns and included songs byGillian Welch,the Rolling Stones,Hank Williams andthe Milk Carton Kids.[93]
In 2017 Jones returned toThe Voice as a coach forseries 6, his fifth year on the show.[96] Inseries 7,Ruti Olajugbagbe picked Jones as her coach and together they made it all the way to the finale, where Olajugbagbe was announced as the series 7 winner. In 2018 he embarked on a live summer tour, which was planned to run from 1 May to 11 August.[97] In July, however, many shows were cancelled due to sickness or bad weather.[98][99]
In 2020 Jones again appeared on the BBC'sJools' Annual Hootenanny, broadcast on New Year's Eve, on which he duetted with Jools Holland[100] and withCeleste.[101]
2021–present
In January 2021 Jones announcedSurrounded by Time, his fourth covers album to be produced by Ethan Johns, alongside the release of a new single, his rendition ofTodd Snider's "Talking Reality Television Blues".[102] In March he appeared onLater... with Jools Holland where he sang "I'm Growing Old" from that album.[103] The album was released on 23 April.
On 3 September 2022, Jones performed "I Won't Crumble With You If You Fall", taken from hisSurrounded by Time album, onThe Voice UK.[106] After the performance, Jones explained the meaning behind the song: "My wife, she was dying of lung cancer [...] I was always able to fix stuff, I was always able to do things, if she needed me for anything I was always there, but she said 'you can't crumble with me, don't fall with me now, you've done everything you can, you must carry on and do what you do' [...] When I heard it I thought, 'My God it's like this was written for this situation'. It's a lovely song."[107] Within 24 hours, the song had peaked on the UK iTunes chart at number 1.[108] The song debuted at number 3 on the UK Official Singles Downloads Chart on 9 September 2022.[109]
During theseries 11 blind auditions of Jones’ tenth year onThe Voice UK, the very first contestant wasAnthonia Edwards, who received a 4-chair turn from the coaches. Edwards would choose Jones as her coach. On 29 October 2022, Edwards was announced as the winner of series 11, making Jones the first coach to mentor 3 winners on The Voice UK.
Personal life
Jones was married to his school girlfriend, Melinda Rose "Linda" Trenchard, from 2 March 1957 until her death from cancer on 10 April 2016.[110] They were married at the age of 16 when she became pregnant; their son, Mark, was born shortly after the wedding.[111] To support his young family, Jones worked in construction and at a glove factory before finding success as a singer.[112][113] He stayed married to Trenchard despite his many well-publicisedinfidelities.[114] After his wife's death, Jones sold the family'sLos Angeles mansion and its contents, apart from treasured photos, and moved into an apartment inLondon, which was his wife's dying wish.[115]
Jones has stated that he had sex with up to 250 groupies a year at his peak of fame.[7] He had affairs with famous American women such as singerMary Wilson, presenterCharlotte Laws,[116] and former Miss WorldMarjorie Wallace, engaged at the time to American race car driverPeter Revson.[117] ActressCassandra Peterson, better known as her character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, revealed in 2008 that she lost her virginity to Jones, calling the experience "painful and horrible" and stating that she requiredstitches afterwards.[118]
One of his affairs resulted in a son. While on tour in the United States in October 1987, he had a brief relationship with model Katherine Berkery, who later discovered she was pregnant. After a legal battle that includedDNA testing, a U.S. court ruled in 1989 that Jones was the boy's father. He denied the court's findings until 2008, when he admitted they were true, but expressed no interest in meeting his son, singer Jonathan Berkery.[119]
Jones met his idolElvis Presley in 1965 at theParamount film stage, when Elvis was filmingParadise, Hawaiian Style.[122][21] They became good friends, spending more time together in Las Vegas singing and carousing until the early hours at Presley's private suite. The friendship endured until Presley's death in 1977.[21] One year after the death of Jones' wife, rumours began that he had started dating Presley's wifePriscilla. In 2021, he said they had known each other since the 1960s and simply enjoyed spending time together.[123] People had thought they were dating because they had been seen together dining and atJeff Franklin's house.[124]
In 2015, Jones' autobiographyOver the Top and Back was published by Michael Joseph.[125] Reviewing the book in theDaily Express, Clair Woodward said, "In the tradition of so many autobiographies these days, Tom Jones's doesn't tell you what you really want to hear. [...] What you are left with is a riotously enjoyable story of Jones 'The Voice' which nicely doubles as the story of British pop and light entertainment from the Sixties onwards."[126] In 2021, Jones revealed that he usesinversion therapy to stay in good health.[127]
Space andCerys Matthews released "The Ballad of Tom Jones", a song about a fighting couple who are calmed down by listening to Jones's music on the radio. The song reached No. 4 in the UK in 1998.[128]
In the 2006 filmFlushed Away, the main character, Roddy, is mistaken for Jones by another character while Roddy performs "She's a Lady". Jones' song, "What's New Pussycat?", is played during the ending credits.[134]
In the video gameTeam Fortress 2, the Scout character is a collector of Tom Jones merchandise, and Jones is depicted being murdered by the Soldier character in the tie-in comics. The Spy character later uses his shape-shifting ability to convince the Scout that Jones is his father. Jones is also depicted using the phrase "What's new pussycat?" several times.[135]
The Complete Decca Studio Albums Collection (2020)
Compositions
Jones wrote or co-wrote the following songs: "And I Tell the Sea",[136] "Looking Out My Window",[137] "Feel the Rain" from the 2002Mr. Jones album,[138] "Jezebel",[138] "The Letter",[138] "Younger Days",[138] "Tom Jones International",[138] "Holiday",[138] "The Road",[139] "24 Hours",[140] "Seasons",[140] "We Got Love",[140] "Seen That Face",[140] "Give a Little Love",[140] "If He Should Ever Leave You",[140] "Whatever it Takes",[138] and "Traveling Shoes" from the 2012 albumSpirit in the Room.[141]
^"They can always go home to MAM".Life. Vol. 69, no. 12. 18 September 1970. p. 54.Mills promptly changed the singer's name to Tom Jones, to exploit the popularity of the current film by that name, and for six months he and Tom and the accompanists lived off a loan Mills talked a bank into giving them.
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