Tom Jones (singer)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE (born 7 June 1940), known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh
singer.
Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records. He has be confirmed as one of the judges on upcoming talent show, The Voice UK
where he will judge alongside, Jessie J
, Frankie Sandford
of The Saturdays
and Will.i.am
.
in South Wales
. His parents were Thomas Woodward (died 5 October 1981), a coal miner, and Freda Jones (died 7 February 2003). His family was mainly of English descent, both of his paternal grandparents having been born in England and his maternal grandmother having English parents. Most of his ancestral roots appear to lie in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset.
Jones began singing at an early age: he would regularly sing at family gatherings, weddings and in his school choir. Jones is dyslexic and did not like school or sports but was able to gain confidence through his singing talent. At 12 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis
. Many years later he said; "I spent two years in bed recovering. It was the worst time of my life." During convalescence he could do little else but listen to music and draw.
Jones' bluesy singing style developed out of the sound of American soul music. His early influences included blues and R & B singers Little Richard
, Solomon Burke
, Jackie Wilson
and Brook Benton
as well as Jerry Lee Lewis
’s music.
In March 1957 Jones married his high school girlfriend, Melinda Trenchard when they were expecting a child together, both aged 16. The couple had a son named Mark who was born the month following their wedding. To support his young family Jones took a job working in a glove factory and was later employed in construction.
. In 1964 the group recorded several solo tracks with producer Joe Meek
, who took them to various 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 manager Phil Solomon but the partnership was short-lived.
The group continued to play gigs at dance halls and working men's club
s in South Wales. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery
, Wales, Jones was spotted by Gordon Mills
, a London-based manager originally from South Wales
. Mills became Jones' manager and took the young singer to London. The stage name "Tom Jones" linked him to the image of the title character in Tony Richardson
's then-recent hit film
and emphasized his Welsh nationality.
Eventually Mills got Jones a recording contract with Decca
. His first single, "Chills and Fever," was released in late 1964. It didn't chart, but the follow-up, "It's Not Unusual
" became an international hit. The BBC initially refused to play it, but the offshore pirate radio
station Radio Caroline
promoted it. In early 1965 "It's Not Unusual" reached number one in the United Kingdom and the top ten in the United States. During 1965 Mills secured a number of movie themes for Jones to record including the themes for the film What's New Pussycat?
(written by Burt Bacharach
and Hal David
) and for the James Bond
film Thunderball
. Jones was also awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist
for 1965.
In 1966 Jones' popularity began to slip somewhat, causing Mills to redesign the singer's image into that of a crooner
. Jones also began to sing material that appealed to a wider audience such as the big country hit "Green, Green Grass of Home". The strategy worked and Jones returned to the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and began hitting the Top 40 again in the United States. For the remainder of the decade he scored a string of hits on both sides of the Atlantic
.
, at the Flamingo
. His performances and style of dress (increasingly featuring his open half unbuttoned shirts and tight trousers) became part of his stage act. He soon chose to record less, instead concentrating on his lucrative club performances. At Caesars Palace
his shows were a knicker-hurling frenzy of raw sex and good-time entertainment. Women started throwing hotel room keys onto the stage. Jones and his idol Elvis Presley
met in 1965 at the Paramount
film stage, when Elvis was filming Paradise, Hawaiian Style
. They became good friends, spending more and more time together in Las Vegas and duetting until the early hours at Presley's private Las Vegas suite. The friendship endured until Presley's death in 1977.
from 1969 to 1971. The show, which was worth a reported $9m to Jones over three years, was broadcast by ITV
in the UK and by ABC
in America. From 1980 to 1981 he had a second television variety show, The Tom Jones Show
, that lasted for 24 episodes. In recent years both television shows have been the subject of litigation with the original license holder C/F International
. As of December 2004 C/F International was a secured judgment creditor of Classic World Productions
and its principal, Darryl Payne, for approximately one million US dollars, 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 unpaid royalties
from This Is Tom Jones, and related recordings. This Is Tom Jones is currently sold on DVD by Time-Life
rather than by Classic World Productions or C/F International.
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 Tom Jones Show, recorded in Vancouver
, Canada. It was contended that any rights that C/F International had to license The Tom 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 The Tom Jones Show no longer existed due to numerous breaches of contract. Examples of contentious CDs include "Live on the Tom Jones Show", released in 2006.
Jones appeared on 1 January 1970, on the BBC
's review of the sixties music scene, Pop Go The Sixties
, performing "Delilah
" (in a telerecording
of an earlier appearance on Top of the Pops
).
Later in 1970 Jones teamed up with Raquel Welch
and Producer/Choreographer David Winters
of Winters-Rosen Productions for the TV special Raquel!. The multi-million dollar TV song & dance extravaganza was filmed around the world and included production numbers of classic songs from the era, lavish costumes and guest performances from Jones, John Wayne
and Bob Hope
.
", "Till
", and "The Young New Mexican Puppeteer", but in the mid 1970s his popularity declined although he did have a big hit in 1976 with "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow
" which went to #1 on the US country chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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 the Billboard Hot 100.
After Jones' manager Gordon Mills died of cancer on 29 July 1986 Jones' son Mark became his manager. Mark recognised that Jones was incorporating modern music in his live shows and suggested that he should start to record songs from a fresh genre and leave country music behind.
In 1987 Jones re-entered the singles chart with "A Boy From Nowhere
" which went to #2 in the United Kingdom. The following year he covered Prince
's "Kiss
" with The Art of Noise
. The song was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching #5 in the UK and #31 in the US. The video for "Kiss" was much seen on MTV
and VH1
, and won the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video
."
Jones received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1989, located at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard
, Los Angeles, California in front of Frederick's of Hollywood
. In 1992 he made his first appearance at the UK's Glastonbury Festival
and in 1993 he appeared as himself on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
, a television sitcom, and in animated form for an episode of The Simpsons
.
Jones signed with Interscope Records
in 1993 and released the album The Lead And How To Swing It. The first single, "If I Only Knew," went to #11 in the UK. He also contributed "Mary's Boy Child" to the David Foster Christmas Album.
In 1999 Jones released the album Reload
, a collection of cover duets with artists such as The Cardigans
, Natalie Imbruglia
, Cerys Matthews
, Van Morrison
, Mousse T, Portishead, The Stereophonics
, and Robbie Williams
. The album went to #1 in the UK and sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Five singles from Reload
hit the UK top 40.
invited Jones to perform on New Year's Eve at the Millennium celebrations in Washington, D.C.. Throughout 2000 Jones garnered a number of honours for his work including a BRIT Award
for Best Male. He was also hired as the new voice of Australia's National Rugby League
, singing in an advertisement to market the 2000 season.
In 2002 Jones released the album Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean
. The album and the first single, "Tom Jones International", were top 40 hits in the UK.
Jones received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2003. The following year, he teamed up with pianist Jools Holland
and released Tom Jones & Jools Holland, a roots rock 'n' roll album. It peaked at #5 in the UK.
On 28 May 2005, in celebration of his approaching 65th birthday, Jones returned to his homeland to perform a concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd
before a crowd of about 20,000. This was his first performance in Pontypridd since 1964. That same year the BBC reported that Jones was Wales' wealthiest entertainer, having amassed a fortune
of £175 million. Jones collaborated with English-born Australian pop singer John Farnham
in 2005 and released the live album John Farnham & Tom Jones - Together In Concert
. The following year Jones worked with Chicane
and released the single "Stoned in Love
", which went to #7 in the UK.
Jones, who was awarded an OBE in 1999, was knighted
by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 at Buckingham Palace
for his services to music. "When you first come into show business and get a hit record, it is the start of something," Jones said. "As time goes by it just gets better. This is the best thing I have had. It's a wonderful feeling, a heady feeling."
at the Concert for Diana
, joined on stage by guitarist Joe Perry
of Aerosmith
and British soul singer Joss Stone
. In addition to performing some of his own songs the group covered Arctic Monkeys
' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
". Jones, a boxing fan, has performed national anthems before a number of boxing matches. He sang "God Save the Queen
", the United Kingdom's national anthem, before the Floyd Mayweather Jr.
-Ricky Hatton
fight
in 2007, he sang "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
", the Welsh national anthem, at the fight
between fellow Welshman Joe Calzaghe
and Bernard Hopkins
in 2008, and he sang "God Save the Queen
" before the Manny Pacquiao
-Ricky Hatton
fight
in 2009.
In 2008 he released 24 Hours on S-Curve Records
, his first album of new material to be issued in the US for over 15 years. Jones, who was still performing over 200 dates a year as he approached his 70th 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. In 2008 also Tom Jones was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. On 16 November 2008 Jones was invited to perform on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
. He performed the debut single from 24 Hours
, "If He Should Ever Leave You", which was named the 9th best song of 2008 by Spinner. One of the songs from 24 Hours, "Give a Little Love", would later be featured in the first trailer for Little Fockers
.
In February 2009 he did an exclusive Take-Away Show with Vincent Moon
, performing three songs live in front of a camera in a New York hotel room. In 2009 Jones was voted "Sexiest Man In The World" in the Hungarian magazine Periodika.
Jones went to the top of the UK Music Charts for the third time in his career thanks to a cover of "Islands in the Stream
", sung with Ruth Jones
, Rob Brydon
and Robin Gibb
, who co-wrote the original with his brothers Barry
and Maurice
. The song, inspired by BBC's hit sitcom Gavin and Stacey, was released in aid of Comic Relief
and reached #1 in March 2009.
On 5 June 2010 a performance at Norwich City Football Club's Carrow Road
stadium, two days before he celebrated his 70th birthday, was cancelled due to incomplete improvements to the stadium. Jones announced that his new album Praise & Blame would be released on 26 July 2010. The album, produced by Ethan Johns
(who has previously worked with Kings Of Leon
, Rufus Wainwright
and Laura Marling
), would include covers of songs by Bob Dylan
, John Lee Hooker
and Billy Joe Shaver
, and feature such guest musicians as Booker T.
On Jones' 70th birthday, 7 June 2010, the single "Burning Hell", a cover of the John Lee Hooker classic, from the forthcoming Praise & Blame album, was released. In July 2010 it was reported, however, that David Sharpe, vice-president of Island Records
(to whom Jones had moved, from EMI
, for £1.5m in October 2009), had emailed colleagues demanding that they "pull back this project immediately or get my money back" and asking if the record had been "a sick joke". Jones later attacked Sharpe and revealed that he was furious about the leaked email.
In July 2010, Jones appeared on the penultimate episode of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
and performed "Burning Hell". In August 2010, Praise & Blame debuted at number 2 on the UK album chart.
On 11 September 2010 Jones performed for an audience of 50,000 at the Help for Heroes
charity concert at Twickenham Stadium
performing "Strange Things Are Happening Every Day
" and his classic hit "Green Green Grass of Home
". On 22 September, Jones appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York. Last year he ditched his hair dye and declared he’d moved onto a new stage in his life:
"Over Christmas, I always take a month off and let my hair go and don’t even shave.
‘Normally it comes out like salt and pepper which I hated. But this year it grew out a silver colour, so I kept it because it’s more distinguished," he said.
In May 2011 Jones appeared as guest vocalist on the debut album Let Them Talk
by Hugh Laurie
. On 15 May 2011 he appeared alongside Laurie in the UK ITV
series Perspectives, singing music from the album in New Orleans. On 25 May 2011, he appeared on American Idol
after a medley of his hits performed by the American Idol "Top 13."
. His philandering once led her to beat him black and blue. She snapped after reading about one infidelity in a newspaper. She punched and kicked him, but Jones did not fight back: "I took it," Jones said. Jones has had affair
s with such well-known women as Mary Wilson
of The Supremes
, former Miss World Marjorie Wallace
and Cassandra Peterson
, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson claims that she lost her virginity
to Jones.
One affair
resulted in the birth of a son. In October 1987, while on tour in America, Jones had a brief relationship with model Katherine Berkery. Three months later Berkery discovered that she was pregnant. After a lengthy fight and DNA
testing an American court ruled in 1989 that Jones is the boy's father. He flatly denied paternity for 20 years but finally admitted it in 2008. However he made no suggestion that he wanted to meet his son Jonathan Berkery.
Jones moved to the United States in 1974 on the advice of his accountant in order to avoid Britain's newly introduced 83% top rate of tax, buying Dean Martin
's former mansion in the East Gate Old Bel Air in Los Angeles
. In 2009, after 35 years in America, he revealed that he and Linda were planning to move back to the United Kingdom. "I've had a great time living in Los Angeles," Jones said, "but after all these years, we think now is the time to move home." However, on The Chris Moyles Show on 27 July 2009, he said he still lives in Los Angeles
and will remain there for the foreseeable future as he still frequently visits the United Kingdom.
released "The Ballad of Tom Jones
", a song about a fighting couple who are calmed down by listening to Jones' music on the radio. The song reached #4 in the UK. in 1998.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
singer.
Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records. He has be confirmed as one of the judges on upcoming talent show, The Voice UK
The Voice UK
The Voice UK is a reality television singing competition created by John de Mol which is scheduled to premiere in the UK in 2012 on BBC One. The format is Dutch and the original Dutch version of the programme was broadcast in the Netherlands for the first time in 2010 as The Voice of Holland.The...
where he will judge alongside, Jessie J
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
, Frankie Sandford
Frankie Sandford
Francesca "Frankie" Sandford is an English pop and R&B singer-songwriter and currently a member of girl group The Saturdays; under the record label of Fascination Records and Polydor Records. The band have had huge success, releasing eleven singles of which ten have charted inside the top 10 on...
of The Saturdays
The Saturdays
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
and Will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
.
Early life
Tom Jones was born at 57, Kingsland Terrace, Treforest, PontypriddPontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
in South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. His parents were Thomas Woodward (died 5 October 1981), a coal miner, and Freda Jones (died 7 February 2003). His family was mainly of English descent, both of his paternal grandparents having been born in England and his maternal grandmother having English parents. Most of his ancestral roots appear to lie in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset.
Jones began singing at an early age: he would regularly sing at family gatherings, weddings and in his school choir. Jones is dyslexic and did not like school or sports but was able to gain confidence through his singing talent. At 12 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Many years later he said; "I spent two years in bed recovering. It was the worst time of my life." During convalescence he could do little else but listen to music and draw.
Jones' bluesy singing style developed out of the sound of American soul music. His early influences included blues and R & B singers Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
and Brook Benton
Brook Benton
Brook Benton was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just A Matter Of Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.He made a comeback in 1970...
as well as Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
’s music.
In March 1957 Jones married his high school girlfriend, Melinda Trenchard when they were expecting a child together, both aged 16. The couple had a son named Mark who was born the month following their wedding. To support his young family Jones took a job working in a glove factory and was later employed in construction.
Rise to fame
Jones became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a Welsh beat group, in 1963. They soon gained a local following and reputation in South WalesSouth Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. In 1964 the group recorded several solo tracks with producer Joe Meek
Joe Meek
Robert George "Joe" Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter....
, who took them to various labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, but they had little success. Later that year Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
producer Peter Sullivan saw Tommy Scott and The Senators performing in a club and directed them to manager Phil Solomon but the partnership was short-lived.
The group continued to play gigs at dance halls and working men's club
Working men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
s in South Wales. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery
Cwmtillery
Cwmtillery is a village located in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire.-History:...
, Wales, Jones was spotted by Gordon Mills
Gordon Mills
Gordon William Mills , was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter who was born in Madras, India and grew up in Trealaw in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales...
, a London-based manager originally from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Mills became Jones' manager and took the young singer to London. The stage name "Tom Jones" linked him to the image of the title character in Tony Richardson
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson was an English theatre and film director and producer.-Early life:Richardson was born in Shipley, Yorkshire in 1928, the son of Elsie Evans and Clarence Albert Richardson, a chemist...
's then-recent hit film
Tom Jones (film)
Tom Jones is a 1963 British adventure comedy film, an adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling , starring Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards...
and emphasized his Welsh nationality.
Eventually Mills got Jones a recording contract with Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. His first single, "Chills and Fever," was released in late 1964. It didn't chart, but the follow-up, "It's Not Unusual
It's Not Unusual
"It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the...
" became an international hit. The BBC initially refused to play it, but the offshore pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
promoted it. In early 1965 "It's Not Unusual" reached number one in the United Kingdom and the top ten in the United States. During 1965 Mills secured a number of movie themes for Jones to record including the themes for the film What's New Pussycat?
What's New Pussycat? (song)
"What's New Pussycat?" is a song made famous by singers such as Tom Jones, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Anita Kerr and The Four Seasons; it was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It is the title tune of the movie starring Peter Sellers.Barbra Streisand performed several...
(written by Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
) and for the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
. Jones was also awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
for 1965.
In 1966 Jones' popularity began to slip somewhat, causing Mills to redesign the singer's image into that of a crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
. Jones also began to sing material that appealed to a wider audience such as the big country hit "Green, Green Grass of Home". The strategy worked and Jones returned to the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and began hitting the Top 40 again in the United States. For the remainder of the decade he scored a string of hits on both sides of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Las Vegas
In 1967 Jones performed for the first time in Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, at the Flamingo
Flamingo Las Vegas
The Flamingo Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp.. The property offers a casino along with 3,626 hotel rooms...
. His performances and style of dress (increasingly featuring his open half unbuttoned shirts and tight trousers) became part of his stage act. He soon chose to record less, instead concentrating on his lucrative club performances. At Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
his shows were a knicker-hurling frenzy of raw sex and good-time entertainment. Women started throwing hotel room keys onto the stage. Jones and his idol Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
met in 1965 at the Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
film stage, when Elvis was filming Paradise, Hawaiian Style
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
Paradise, Hawaiian Style is a 1966 musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was the third and final motion picture that Presley filmed in Hawaii. The film reached #40 on the Variety weekly box office chart, earning $2.5 million in theaters....
. They became good friends, spending more and more time together in Las Vegas and duetting until the early hours at Presley's private Las Vegas suite. The friendship endured until Presley's death in 1977.
Television and lawsuits
Jones had an internationally successful television variety show titled This Is Tom JonesThis Is Tom Jones
This is Tom Jones is an ATV variety series starring Tom Jones. The series was exported to the United States by ITC Entertainment and was networked there by ABC....
from 1969 to 1971. The show, which was worth a reported $9m to Jones over three years, was broadcast by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in the UK and by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in America. From 1980 to 1981 he had a second television variety show, The Tom Jones Show
The Tom Jones Show
The Tom Jones Show was a syndicated television variety show hosted by Tom Jones, that aired during the 1980-1981 television season. Twenty four episodes of the show were produced. The show was produced in Vancouver, Canada. The format of the show was for Tom Jones to perform his old hits and...
, that lasted for 24 episodes. In recent years both television shows have been the subject of litigation with the original license holder C/F International
C/F International
C/F International was a company that licensed television programming to stations, home video companies and other outlets around the world. Its Businessweek profile stated that:...
. As of December 2004 C/F International was a secured judgment creditor of Classic World Productions
Classic World Productions
Classic World Productions-, based in Naperville, Illinois, was a significant issuer of back music catalogues and television programs.- History :...
and its principal, Darryl Payne, for approximately one million US dollars, and was the principal secured creditor at the time of the subsequent bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
filing by the company. C/F International's action against Classic World Productions and owner Darryl Payne was based on unpaid royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
from This Is Tom Jones, and related recordings. This Is Tom Jones is currently sold on DVD by Time-Life
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
rather than by Classic World Productions or C/F International.
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 Tom Jones Show, recorded in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada. It was contended that any rights that C/F International had to license The Tom 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 The Tom Jones Show no longer existed due to numerous breaches of contract. Examples of contentious CDs include "Live on the Tom Jones Show", released in 2006.
Jones appeared on 1 January 1970, on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's review of the sixties music scene, Pop Go The Sixties
Pop Go The Sixties
Pop Go The Sixties! was a one-off, seventy five-minute TV special originally broadcast in colour on 31 December 1969, to celebrate the major pop hits of the 1960s. The show was a co-production between the United Kingdom's BBC and Germany's ZDF broadcasters...
, performing "Delilah
Delilah (1968 song)
"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.-Success:It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling...
" (in a telerecording
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
of an earlier appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
).
Later in 1970 Jones teamed up with Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
and Producer/Choreographer David Winters
David Winters (choreographer)
David Winters is an English-born American dancer, choreographer, producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Winters has participated in, directed and produced over 400 television series, specials, and motion pictures...
of Winters-Rosen Productions for the TV special Raquel!. The multi-million dollar TV song & dance extravaganza was filmed around the world and included production numbers of classic songs from the era, lavish costumes and guest performances from Jones, John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
and Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
.
Decline and resurgence
In the early 1970s Jones had a number of hit singles, including "She's A LadyShe's A Lady
"She's a Lady" is a song written by Paul Anka and performed by Tom Jones, and released in 1971. It is his highest charting U.S. release, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is one of Tom Jones's most famous recordings. The song reached #4 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey and spawned a...
", "Till
Till (song)
"Till" is a popular song with music by Charles Danvers and English lyrics by Carl Sigman, released in January 1957 by Percy Faith. It was derived from the French song "Prière Sans Espoir", released in 1956 by Lucien Lupi on the EP L'Amour Viendra with original French lyrics written by Pierre Benoit...
", and "The Young New Mexican Puppeteer", but in the mid 1970s his popularity declined although he did have a big hit in 1976 with "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow
Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow
"Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" is a 1976 single by Tom Jones. The song was Jones's first and highest-charting country music hit. Spending ten weeks within the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" went to number one for one week on 26 February 1977...
" which went to #1 on the US country chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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 the Billboard Hot 100.
After Jones' manager Gordon Mills died of cancer on 29 July 1986 Jones' son Mark became his manager. Mark recognised that Jones was incorporating modern music in his live shows and suggested that he should start to record songs from a fresh genre and leave country music behind.
In 1987 Jones re-entered the singles chart with "A Boy From Nowhere
Matador (musical)
Matador is the title of a 1991 musical by Mike Leander and Edward Seago, with a book by Peter Jukes, which tells the story of the rise and fall of a fictional matador, loosely based on Manuel Benitez, El Cordobes. The show featured stunning choreography in traditional Flamenco style by Rafael...
" which went to #2 in the United Kingdom. The following year he covered Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's "Kiss
Kiss (song)
In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country...
" with The Art of Noise
The Art of Noise
Art of Noise was an avant-garde synthpop group formed in 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan, programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn and music journalist Paul Morley. The group's mostly instrumental compositions were novel melodic sound collages based on...
. The song was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching #5 in the UK and #31 in the US. The video for "Kiss" was much seen on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, and won the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video
MTV Video Music Award - Breakthrough Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even...
."
Jones received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 1989, located at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
, Los Angeles, California in front of Frederick's of Hollywood
Frederick's of Hollywood
Frederick's of Hollywood is a well-known retailer of women's lingerie in the United States, with stores in many modern shopping malls across the USA....
. In 1992 he made his first appearance at the UK's Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and in 1993 he appeared as himself on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, a television sitcom, and in animated form for an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
Jones signed with Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
in 1993 and released the album The Lead And How To Swing It. The first single, "If I Only Knew," went to #11 in the UK. He also contributed "Mary's Boy Child" to the David Foster Christmas Album.
In 1999 Jones released the album Reload
Reload (album)
Reload is the title of an album, released in 1999 by Welsh singer Tom Jones.After a lengthy career, and a notable absence from the music charts for several years, Jones resurrected his career with this album of 15 cover versions and 2 original tracks recorded as duets with current artists...
, a collection of cover duets with artists such as The Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
, Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
, Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Mousse T, Portishead, The Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, and Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
. The album went to #1 in the UK and sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Five singles from Reload
Reload (album)
Reload is the title of an album, released in 1999 by Welsh singer Tom Jones.After a lengthy career, and a notable absence from the music charts for several years, Jones resurrected his career with this album of 15 cover versions and 2 original tracks recorded as duets with current artists...
hit the UK top 40.
Into the 21st century
United States President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
invited Jones to perform on New Year's Eve at the Millennium celebrations in Washington, D.C.. Throughout 2000 Jones garnered a number of honours for his work including a BRIT Award
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for Best Male. He was also hired as the new voice of Australia's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
, singing in an advertisement to market the 2000 season.
In 2002 Jones released the album Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
. The album and the first single, "Tom Jones International", were top 40 hits in the UK.
Jones received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2003. The following year, he teamed up with pianist Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
and released Tom Jones & Jools Holland, a roots rock 'n' roll album. It peaked at #5 in the UK.
On 28 May 2005, in celebration of his approaching 65th birthday, Jones returned to his homeland to perform a concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
before a crowd of about 20,000. This was his first performance in Pontypridd since 1964. That same year the BBC reported that Jones was Wales' wealthiest entertainer, having amassed a fortune
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
of £175 million. Jones collaborated with English-born Australian pop singer John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
in 2005 and released the live album John Farnham & Tom Jones - Together In Concert
John Farnham & Tom Jones - Together In Concert
In 2005, John Farnham and Tom Jones performed together for ten concerts in the Australian cities of Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Farnham then left the stage to let Tom perform a few solos before returning with 1972's "One" and raging through hits like "Pressure Down", "That's Freedom",...
. The following year Jones worked with Chicane
Chicane (recording artist)
Chicane is a British electronic dance music act, and the guise of British musician, composer, songwriter and record producer, Nicholas Bracegirdle....
and released the single "Stoned in Love
Stoned in Love
"Stoned in Love" is a dance track by Chicane , with vocals performed by famed pop singer Tom Jones. It was released as a single on 24 April 2006....
", which went to #7 in the UK.
Jones, who was awarded an OBE in 1999, was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
for his services to music. "When you first come into show business and get a hit record, it is the start of something," Jones said. "As time goes by it just gets better. This is the best thing I have had. It's a wonderful feeling, a heady feeling."
Recent work
On 1 July 2007 Jones was among the invited artists who performed at Wembley StadiumWembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
at the Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
, joined on stage by guitarist Joe Perry
Joe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
and British soul singer Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
. In addition to performing some of his own songs the group covered Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
-Charts:-External links:* Mapped on Platial....
". Jones, a boxing fan, has performed national anthems before a number of boxing matches. He sang "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
", the United Kingdom's national anthem, before the Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. is an American professional boxer. He is a five-division world champion, where he has won seven world titles, as well as the lineal championship in three different weight classes...
-Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton
Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
fight
Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton, billed as Undefeated, was a boxing match that took place on December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, between reigning WBC & The Ring welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and reigning The Ring light welterweight champion Ricky...
in 2007, he sang "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
", the Welsh national anthem, at the fight
Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe
Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe was a boxing match that took place on April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, between The Ring light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins and undisputed super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe...
between fellow Welshman Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe
Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
and Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
in 2008, and he sang "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
" before the Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
-Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton
Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
fight
Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao
Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao, billed as The Battle of East and West, was a boxing light welterweight superfight for the International Boxing Organization and The Ring light welterweight championship...
in 2009.
In 2008 he released 24 Hours on S-Curve Records
S-Curve Records
S-Curve Records was founded in 2000 by former Mercury Records executive Steve Greenberg. It is based in New York City. In 2001 the label established a distribution and licensing agreement with EMI Records. In 2007 Greenberg relaunched the label after a two year hiatus, during which he served as...
, his first album of new material to be issued in the US for over 15 years. Jones, who was still performing over 200 dates a year as he approached his 70th 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. In 2008 also Tom Jones was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. On 16 November 2008 Jones was invited to perform on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
. He performed the debut single from 24 Hours
24 Hours
24 Hours and 24 Heures is a chain of free daily newspapers published in Canada by Sun Media, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
, "If He Should Ever Leave You", which was named the 9th best song of 2008 by Spinner. One of the songs from 24 Hours, "Give a Little Love", would later be featured in the first trailer for Little Fockers
Little Fockers
Little Fockers is a 2010 American comedy film and sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers . It stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand...
.
In February 2009 he did an exclusive Take-Away Show with Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon
Vincent Moon is an independent filmmaker from Paris mainly known for his field work music videos of indie rock related musicians as well as some notable mainstream artists like Tom Jones, R.E.M. or Arcade Fire. Besides making music videos he also makes experimental films and documentaries...
, performing three songs live in front of a camera in a New York hotel room. In 2009 Jones was voted "Sexiest Man In The World" in the Hungarian magazine Periodika.
Jones went to the top of the UK Music Charts for the third time in his career thanks to a cover of "Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream
"Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton...
", sung with Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones is a Welsh TV actress and writer. She starred in and co-wrote the multi-award winning TV comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many other successful comedies over recent years...
, Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
and Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
, who co-wrote the original with his brothers Barry
Barry Gibb
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
and Maurice
Maurice Gibb
Maurice Ernest Gibb, CBE was a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born on the Isle of Man, the twin brother of Robin Gibb, and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing/songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers...
. The song, inspired by BBC's hit sitcom Gavin and Stacey, was released in aid of Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
and reached #1 in March 2009.
On 5 June 2010 a performance at Norwich City Football Club's Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
stadium, two days before he celebrated his 70th birthday, was cancelled due to incomplete improvements to the stadium. Jones announced that his new album Praise & Blame would be released on 26 July 2010. The album, produced by Ethan Johns
Ethan Johns
Ethan Johns is a record producer, engineer, mixer, musician, and songwriter who has worked with such artists such as Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Ray LaMontagne, Kevin Prosch, Rufus Wainwright, Howard Eliott Payne, Emmylou Harris, Crowded House, Laura Marling, Luthea Salom, and Crosby, Stills and...
(who has previously worked with Kings Of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
and Laura Marling
Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire.Initially prominent within the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for...
), would include covers of songs by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
and Billy Joe Shaver
Billy Joe Shaver
Billy Joe Shaver is a Texas country music singer and songwriter. Shaver's 1973 album Old Five and Dimers Like Me is a classic in the outlaw country genre.-Biography:...
, and feature such guest musicians as Booker T.
On Jones' 70th birthday, 7 June 2010, the single "Burning Hell", a cover of the John Lee Hooker classic, from the forthcoming Praise & Blame album, was released. In July 2010 it was reported, however, that David Sharpe, vice-president of Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
(to whom Jones had moved, from EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, for £1.5m in October 2009), had emailed colleagues demanding that they "pull back this project immediately or get my money back" and asking if the record had been "a sick joke". Jones later attacked Sharpe and revealed that he was furious about the leaked email.
In July 2010, Jones appeared on the penultimate episode of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
and performed "Burning Hell". In August 2010, Praise & Blame debuted at number 2 on the UK album chart.
On 11 September 2010 Jones performed for an audience of 50,000 at the Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes
Help for Heroes is a British charity launched on 1 October 2007 to help provide better facilities for British servicemen and women wounded since September 11, 2001. It was founded by Bryn Parry OBE and his wife Emma Parry OBE after they visited soldiers at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham...
charity concert at Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
performing "Strange Things Are Happening Every Day
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an Amercian pioneering gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist who attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock and roll accompaniment...
" and his classic hit "Green Green Grass of Home
Green Green Grass of Home
"Green, Green Grass of Home", written by Claude "Curly" Putman, Jr., is a country song originally made popular by Porter Wagoner in 1965 and Bobby Bare in 1965. It was sung later by Tom Jones in 1966 when it reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 3 December staying there for a total of seven...
". On 22 September, Jones appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York. Last year he ditched his hair dye and declared he’d moved onto a new stage in his life:
"Over Christmas, I always take a month off and let my hair go and don’t even shave.
‘Normally it comes out like salt and pepper which I hated. But this year it grew out a silver colour, so I kept it because it’s more distinguished," he said.
In May 2011 Jones appeared as guest vocalist on the debut album Let Them Talk
Let Them Talk
Songs of the Special Edition-Charts:-Certifications:- Release history :-External links:** on...
by Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
. On 15 May 2011 he appeared alongside Laurie in the UK ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Perspectives, singing music from the album in New Orleans. On 25 May 2011, he appeared on American Idol
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
after a medley of his hits performed by the American Idol "Top 13."
Personal life
Jones has remained married to Melinda since 1957, despite his many well publicised infidelitiesInfidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
. His philandering once led her to beat him black and blue. She snapped after reading about one infidelity in a newspaper. She punched and kicked him, but Jones did not fight back: "I took it," Jones said. Jones has had affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
s with such well-known women as Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson (singer)
Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
of The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, former Miss World Marjorie Wallace
Marjorie Wallace
Marjorie Wallace is an American model, actress, beauty queen and television presenter. In 1973, Wallace made history as the first American to be crowned Miss World. But just 104 days later, pageant officials stunned the UK when they announced Wallace would be the first Miss World to have her title...
and Cassandra Peterson
Cassandra Peterson
Cassandra Peterson is an American actress best known for her on-screen horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation...
, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson claims that she lost her virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
to Jones.
One affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
resulted in the birth of a son. In October 1987, while on tour in America, Jones had a brief relationship with model Katherine Berkery. Three months later Berkery discovered that she was pregnant. After a lengthy fight and DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
testing an American court ruled in 1989 that Jones is the boy's father. He flatly denied paternity for 20 years but finally admitted it in 2008. However he made no suggestion that he wanted to meet his son Jonathan Berkery.
Jones moved to the United States in 1974 on the advice of his accountant in order to avoid Britain's newly introduced 83% top rate of tax, buying Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
's former mansion in the East Gate Old Bel Air in Los Angeles
East Gate Bel Air, Los Angeles
East Gate Bel Air is a very small and very wealthy area within the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, California...
. In 2009, after 35 years in America, he revealed that he and Linda were planning to move back to the United Kingdom. "I've had a great time living in Los Angeles," Jones said, "but after all these years, we think now is the time to move home." However, on The Chris Moyles Show on 27 July 2009, he said he still lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and will remain there for the foreseeable future as he still frequently visits the United Kingdom.
Filmography
- The Special London Bridge Special, TV special, UK/US (1972)
- A fantasy story about London BridgeLondon BridgeLondon Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
being brought to America
- A fantasy story about London Bridge
- On Happiness Island, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV special, UK (1974) - Pleasure Cove, feature film, US (1979)
- Fantasy IslandFantasy IslandFantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
, TV series, US (ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, 7 April 1984) - The Ghosts Of Oxford Street, TV special, UK (1991)
- A TV musical celebrating the 200th anniversary of London's most renowned Oxford Street
- Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, TV series (Guest: As Himself) (1991)
- The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, TV series, Season 4 Episode 7 ("Marge Gets a JobMarge Gets a Job"Marge Gets a Job" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on November 5, 1992 on Fox. In this episode, Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pay for foundation repair at the Simpson house. Mr. Burns develops a crush on Marge after seeing...
") (1992) - Silk n' Sabotage, feature film, US (1994)
- Jerky Boys: The MovieJerky Boys: The MovieThe Jerky's Boys: The Movie, also known as The Jerky's Boys, is a 1995 comedy/crime film starring John G. Brennan and Kamal Ahmed, best known as the comedy duo The Jerky Boys.The film features two men, Johnny B...
, feature film, US (1995) - Mars Attacks!Mars Attacks!Mars Attacks! is a 1996 American science fiction film directed by Tim Burton and based on the cult trading card series of the same name. The film uses elements of black comedy, surreal humour, and political satire, and claims to be also a parody of multiple science fiction B movies...
, feature film, US (1996) - Agnes BrowneAgnes BrowneAgnes Browne is a 1999 American/Irish romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by, and starring Anjelica Huston, based on the book The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll.-Plot:...
(a.k.a. The Mammy), feature film (1999) - The Emperor's New GrooveThe Emperor's New GrooveThe Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000. It is the 40th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics...
, animated film (As the Theme Song Guy) (2000) - Duck DodgersDuck Dodgers (TV series)Duck Dodgers is an American animated television series, based on the classic cartoon short Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century, produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 2003 to 2005. The series aired on Cartoon Network and starred Daffy Duck as the titular character...
, opening theme and a guest appearance in episode "Talent Show A Go-Go"
In popular culture
Space and Cerys MatthewsCerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
released "The Ballad of Tom Jones
The Ballad of Tom Jones
"The Ballad of Tom Jones" is a song by Space and Cerys Matthews, lead singer of the band Catatonia, which was released in 1998. The song peaked at number four in the charts in March 1998.-Track listings:CD 1 #"The Ballad of Tom Jones" - 4:13...
", a song about a fighting couple who are calmed down by listening to Jones' music on the radio. The song reached #4 in the UK. in 1998.
Compositions
Tom Jones wrote or co-wrote the following songs: "And I Tell The Sea", "Looking Out My Window", "Feel The Rain", "Jezebel", "The Letter", "Younger Days", "Tom Jones International", "Holiday", "The Road", "24 Hours", "Seasons", "We Got Love", "Seen That Face", "Give A Little Love", "If He Should Ever Leave You", "Whatever It Takes" and "Didn't It Rain".Further reading
- Bert Schwartz: "Tom Jones" (Grosset & DunlapGrosset & DunlapGrosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
, New York City, 1969) 76-103307 - Peter Jones: "Tom Jones: Biography of a Great Star" (Avon Publishing, 1970 (1st edition), 1971)
- Colin MacFarlane: "Tom Jones: The Boy from Nowhere" (W.H. Allen, London, 1988 St Martins Press, New York) ISBN 0-491-03118-1
- Stafford Hildred & David Gritten: "Tom Jones: A Biography" (Isis Large Print Books, April 1991) ISBN 1-85089-486-8
- Roger St. Pierre: "Tom Jones — Quote Unquote" (Parragon Book Service, LTD. publishers, Great Britain, 1996) ISBN 0-7525-1696-5
- Stafford Hildred & David Gritten: "Tom Jones: A Biography" (revised edition '98) (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1998 an imprint of Macmillan PublishersMacmillan PublishersMacmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
Ltd) ISBN 0-283-06312-2 - Chris Roberts: "Tom Jones" (1st edition) (Virgin BooksVirgin BooksVirgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...
, 1999 an imprint of Virgin Publishing Limited) ISBN 1-85227-846-3 - Lucy Ellis, Bryony Sutherland: "Tom Jones: Close Up" (Omnibus Press, 2000) ISBN 0-7119-7549-3 (Hc) ISBN 0-7119-8645-2 (Pb)
- Robin Eggar: "Tom Jones — The Biography" (1st edition) (Headline Book Publishing, 2000) ISBN 0-7472-7578-5
- Woodward v. Berkery, 714 So.2d 1027 (Fla.App.4thDist. 1998)