Tom Jones

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Birthday:

7 June 1940, Pontypridd, Wales, UK

Birth Name:

Thomas John Woodward

Height:

179 cm

Tom Jones was born Thomas Jones Woodward in Pontypridd, South Wales, to a traditional coal-mining family, the son of Freda (Jones) and Thomas Woodward. His father was of English descent and his mother was of Welsh and English ancestry. He began singing at an early age in church and in the school choir. Left school at 16 and was married, having a son a year later. He brought in money for his family from an assortment of jobs, singing in pubs at night. By 1963, he was playing regularly with his own group in the demanding atmosphere of working mens clubs. Gordon Mills, a performer who had branched out into songwriting and management went to see him. He became his manager and landed him a record contract in 1964. They made a great team and had huge international success with their second single, a song penned by Mr Mills -- "It's Not Unusual." An avalanche of gold singles and albums followed. Mr Jones, a vocal powerhouse, has sustained his popularity for over three decades, and his recordings have spanned the spectrum of musical styles. Now lives with his wife Melinda in homes in Wales and California. Show less «

[after being formally knighted at Buckingham Palace] It is fantastic. It was lovely to see the Queen again. I love seeing the Queen and I ha...Show more »

[after being formally knighted at Buckingham Palace] It is fantastic. It was lovely to see the Queen again. I love seeing the Queen and I have always been a royalist. She has got a great smile and her whole face lights up when she smiles. I told her I have been in show business 41 years successfully and she said to me that I had given a lot of people a lot of pleasure. I come from a coal-mining, working-class background. My father was a coal miner. Today is just tremendous. When you first come into show business and you get a hit record, it is the start of something. As time goes on, it just gets better. This is the best thing that I have had. It is a wonderful feeling, a heady feeling. Sometimes you just can't believe it, you think you have been dreaming. Show less «

On singing privately with Elvis Presley in Hawaii in 1968: There was a Kris Kristofferson song called 'Why Me, Lord' and he would sing it co...Show more »

On singing privately with Elvis Presley in Hawaii in 1968: There was a Kris Kristofferson song called 'Why Me, Lord' and he would sing it continuously. Once he got hold of one that he liked he would never stop. I would try and get out of the suite, because sometimes he would stay on in Vegas, and I was having to do two shows a night, and I'd be singing with him and I'd say, 'I've got to go. The sun's coming up and I've got to rest my voice because I've been singing all night with you.' He'd say OK, and I'd go, and just when I got to the door he'd start again. 'Uh-why me Lord, uh - what have I uh-ever done ...' We'd already done it 30 or 40 times. Show less «

He didn't become worldly. He was always in his own world, and enjoying it. When that worked, fine. He wanted guys around him, wanted to crea...Show more »

He didn't become worldly. He was always in his own world, and enjoying it. When that worked, fine. He wanted guys around him, wanted to create his own thing, which was a simple life. He loved to play [American] football and he had his own team. But because he was Elvis Presley, no one wanted to tackle him hard. Show less «

It's one extreme to the other. I've had a lot of crosses and Bibles given to me but then one woman made a ceramic penis - she figured that's...Show more »

It's one extreme to the other. I've had a lot of crosses and Bibles given to me but then one woman made a ceramic penis - she figured that's what mine looked like, I suppose. Show less «

I'm a lyric man - I'm always looking for meaningful songs.

Not to be a name-dropper but Frank Sinatra once told me: "Tom, you don't have to hit everything hard. If you keep hammering everything, you'...Show more »

Not to be a name-dropper but Frank Sinatra once told me: "Tom, you don't have to hit everything hard. If you keep hammering everything, you're gonna hurt yourself." Show less «

When I started recording, I thought I'd be able to do all kinds of records: jazz, country, dance - and I've always wanted to do a gospel alb...Show more »

When I started recording, I thought I'd be able to do all kinds of records: jazz, country, dance - and I've always wanted to do a gospel album. Show less «

[on his move to Los Angeles] The problem I had in the '70s was that the Labour Government got in, and the tax went through the roof. I was d...Show more »

[on his move to Los Angeles] The problem I had in the '70s was that the Labour Government got in, and the tax went through the roof. I was doing big tours in America at the time, and when I toured America in 1974 my accountant said, 'Think about not coming back, because as soon as you set foot in Britain, everything you've worked for this year will go, the Government will take it all in tax'. Show less «

You had The Beatles and Stones [The Rolling Stones] covering American R&B, The Pretty Things, The Animals, the whole British Invasion - we w...Show more »

You had The Beatles and Stones [The Rolling Stones] covering American R&B, The Pretty Things, The Animals, the whole British Invasion - we were all massive fans of soul music, and Solomon's [Solomon Burke] influence was huge on the songs we chose. Everyone did Cry To Me, that was a staple in my live show, and If You Need Me. We copied his treatment of the songs and the way he handled himself on-stage, he was so expressive. He would suck you right into the song, that's what you wanted to do when you sang. He had a sweetness about his voice as well, he could sing lightly, like on Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms). Show less «

[on Solomon Burke] I first saw Solomon at the Flamingo in 1965, the first soul singer I saw live, and he was amazing. I listened to Otis Red...Show more »

[on Solomon Burke] I first saw Solomon at the Flamingo in 1965, the first soul singer I saw live, and he was amazing. I listened to Otis Redding and Sam & Dave, but he was always the best because he had a melodic way to him, he was more like a proper singer, and you know we became friends right away. He was just such a sweet man. The next time I saw him sing, I can't remember the night club, but it was 1965 again. I went backstage and he gave me a crown and said, 'You can't be the king of rock'n'soul because I am, but you can be the Prince of Wales.' He was such a lovely, lovely man, a family man, with a great sense of humor, a great personality, and a passion for music and people. Show less «