Jones, Sir Tom

Jones, Sir Tom (1940- ), Welsh singer, noted for his rousing voice and exuberant stage manner in a pop-music career spanning more than 40 years. Born Thomas Jones Woodward into a mining family in Pontypridd, he was inspired by the dynamic style of Elvis Presley, and fashioned his thrusting routines to emphasize his powerful physical presence. Billing himself as Tommy Scott and fronting The Senators, he changed his surname in 1962 to Jones (Tom Jones was a popular film adaptation of the literary work at the time). His subsequent hits, “It's not Unusual” (1965) and “What's New Pussycat?” (1965, by Burt Bacharach) combined brash rock and roll with the glamorous values of the cabaret lounge. His taste for dramatic balladry was revealed in the singles “Green, Green Grass Of Home” (1966) and “Delilah” (1968).

Jones capitalized on his American success with a television show and residencies at Las Vegas hotels. Ironically, when Presley saw him perform at the Flamingo Hotel, the American was so impressed by Jones's energy that elements of the show influenced Presley's own Las Vegas comeback. An American TV series, This Is Tom Jones was launched in 1969, running for two years. A single, “She's A Lady” (1971) sold a million copies as Jones became one of the world's best-paid entertainers. After a period of singing country music, the ballad “A Boy From Nowhere” (1987, from the musical Matador) reached number two in the UK charts, renewing his fortunes. A version of Prince's funk song “Kiss” (1988) was also a hit; the later albums The Lead and How to Swing It (1994) and Reload (1999) showcased his remarkably unfaded energy in collaboration with a younger generation of performers and producers. Mr Jones, which consisted of a mix of new songs and covers, was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis and released in 2002. In 1999 Jones was awarded an OBE, and in 2006 he received a knighthood for services to music.