Tom Jones is not only a legendary entertainer, but a man with much character.

 

Thomas John Woodward was born in Wales. As Tom Jones, he has been entertaining in Las Vegas for over 30 years. His unique voice has a range from baritone to tenor and has captured the hearts of people of all ages. In fact, the ladies sometimes still toss their knickers on stage.

 

Jones has all sorts of awards including a Brit Award, the most prestigious award given for music in the UK for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement.

 

Tom Jones has matured gracefully, like a fine wine. At the age of 67 he has done it all. Having fallen in love with rock-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues recorded in the US during the 1950s, he originally was a rocker with a heavy rhythm-and-blues base voice.

 

As a teenager, he was a “Teddy Boy,” a rebel much taken with music and sex. Fortunately after playing local Welsh pubs for a few years, Tom Jones developed his entertainment skills.

 

He married young and, while singing at night, worked hard labor as a glove gutter, in a paper miller and as a door-to-door vacuum salesman.

 

According to Jones, Gordon Mills, himself a performer, looking to go into music management, discovered Tom, changed his name after the then-popular film and helped to nurture Jones’ career.

 

With the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and other bands of that ilk hitting it big in the early 1960s, the record companies felt that Jones’ voice was “too black” and “too powerful,” but, finally, in 1964 Mills got Tom a recording contract.

 

His first single failed, but his second single “It’s Not Unusual,” was an international hit. That’s when Tom opened for the Rolling Stones at London’s Beat City. Tom’s hits — “What’s New Pussycat,” “Help Yourself,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “Without Love” — kept climbing the charts.

 

In the 70’s, hits like “I Who Have Nothing”, “She’s a Lady” and the album “Tom Jones Live at Caesars Palace” made him a household name through out the world. By the end of 1970 Jones has sold over 30,000,000 discs in all categories.

 

 

 

The accomplishments of Tom Jones can go on and on but, perhaps, the crowning honor for him was his March 2006 knighthood for his contributions to music.

 

 

Many await the arrival of Sir Tom’s new album to be released next year.

 

 

 

The interview below with Tom shares his fondness of Las Vegas and the importance of entertainers giving back by raising money for charity.

 

Photos courtesy of www.tomjonesinternational.com

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My book of poetry entitled "Messages" was inspired by my dear friends C.J. Cansler along with Victoria Boone and Beryl Warren.   The group of poems along with some beautiful photographs are to inspire the reader.