Tom Jones

Tom Jones Bio

Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, professionally known as Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer whose powerful baritone voice and dynamic stage presence have made him a household name for more than six decades. Born on 7 June 1940 in Treforest, Wales, Jones first rose to international fame in the mid-1960s with a string of top-ten hits, including “It’s Not Unusual”, “What’s New Pussycat?” and the James Bond theme “Thunderball”. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide and built a versatile catalogue that spans pop, R&B, soul, country, and gospel. In addition to his singing career, Jones has occasionally dabbled in acting, appeared on television variety shows, and served as a coach on the BBC talent series The Voice UK.

Early Life and Background

Thomas John Woodward was born at 57 Kingsland Terrace in Treforest, Wales, on 7 June 1940. He is the son of Freda Jones and coal miner Thomas Woodward. Jones grew up in a working-class family in the South Wales valleys, an environment that shaped his grounded personality and strong work ethic. He attended Wood Road Infants School, Wood Road Junior School, and Pontypridd Central Secondary Modern School.

From an early age, Jones discovered a passion for singing. He regularly performed at family gatherings, weddings, and in his school choir, gaining confidence through his vocal talent even though he disliked school and sports. At the age of 12, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, an illness that kept him bedridden for about two years. During this difficult period, he found comfort in music and drawing, experiences that deepened his emotional connection to song. After recovering, he took on various local jobs, including work in construction and at a glove factory, to support his young family before his singing career took off.

Path to Music

Jones began his professional music career in 1963 when he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a Welsh beat group that built a local following across South Wales. The group worked briefly with producer Joe Meek, but struggled to find broader success. Their fortunes changed when manager Gordon Mills discovered the band and took Jones under his wing. Mills renamed him “Tom Jones” to capitalise on the popularity of the 1963 film of the same name and introduced him to the London music scene.

Through Mills, Jones secured a recording contract with Decca Records. His first single, “Chills and Fever”, failed to chart, but its follow-up, “It’s Not Unusual”, became an international smash in 1965 after the offshore pirate radio station Radio Caroline promoted the track. The song reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom and the top ten in the United States, establishing Jones as one of the leading vocalists of the British Invasion. That same year, he recorded themes for major films, including the James Bond movie Thunderball and the title song for What’s New Pussycat?, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Tom Jones Career

Early Career (1963–1966)

Tom Jones’s early career exploded in 1964 and 1965 with a rapid succession of hit singles. Following the success of “It’s Not Unusual”, he delivered chart-topping recordings such as “Thunderball” and “What’s New Pussycat?”, songs that introduced his robust voice to a global audience. In 1965, while filming at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, he met his idol Elvis Presley for the first time, beginning a friendship that would last until Presley’s death in 1977.

His breakthrough year of 1965 cemented his place among the most popular vocalists of the British Invasion. In recognition of his rapid rise, Jones was awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1966, a remarkable honour for a performer who had only recently crossed the Atlantic.

Breakthrough (1966–1989)

After winning the Grammy, Jones’s image was reshaped by his manager into that of a sophisticated crooner. He expanded his musical range, recording broader material that produced a string of UK and US hits, including “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, “I’m Coming Home”, and the dramatic 1968 single “Delilah”, which reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom. In 1967, he began a legendary run of performances in Las Vegas at the Flamingo, returning to the city for at least one week each year until 2011.

Between 1969 and 1971, Jones hosted his own internationally successful television variety show, This Is Tom Jones, an ITV and ABC production that earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1970. He returned to television with a second series, simply titled Tom Jones, from 1980 to 1981. In 1979, he made his acting debut in the ABC television film Pleasure Cove, playing a suave conman named Raymond Gordon. By 1987, he had re-entered the UK charts with “A Boy from Nowhere”, and in 1988 his cover of Prince’s “Kiss”, recorded with Art of Noise, won the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video.

Notable Works and Milestones

Among Jones’s signature works are “It’s Not Unusual”, “What’s New Pussycat?”, the James Bond theme “Thunderball”, “Green, Green Grass of Home”, “Delilah”, “She’s a Lady”, and his 1999 dance hit “Sex Bomb” from the multi-platinum album Reload. In 1989, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. He was also inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2008.

Tom Jones Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Tom Jones has received numerous award nominations recognising both his musical achievements and his television work. In 1970, he earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy nomination for hosting This Is Tom Jones. He has also been nominated at the Brit Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and various national music ceremonies, reflecting his consistent presence at the top of the industry for more than half a century.

Tom Jones Awards Won

Tom Jones has won a range of prestigious honours over the course of his career. In 1966, he received the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In 1988, he won the MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video for his collaboration with Art of Noise on “Kiss”. He earned the Brit Award for Best British Male in 2000 and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2003. In 1998, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and in 2006 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for his services to music.

Tom Jones Family

Tom Jones is the son of Freda Jones and Thomas Woodward, a coal miner from Treforest, Wales. He married his high school girlfriend, Melinda Rose “Linda” Trenchard, on 2 March 1957, and the couple remained together until her death from cancer on 10 April 2016. Their son, Mark Woodward, was born shortly after the wedding and later became his father’s manager following the death of Gordon Mills in 1986. Jones is also the father of a second son, Jonathan Berkery, born in the United States following a brief relationship with model Katherine Berkery; a U.S. court ruled in 1989 that Jones was the boy’s father, a finding he publicly acknowledged in 2008.

Personal Life

After his wife Linda’s death in 2016, Jones sold the family’s Los Angeles mansion and moved into an apartment in London, fulfilling her dying wish. He is a boxing fan and has performed national anthems at several high-profile fights. In 2015, he published his autobiography, Over the Top and Back, which recounts his journey from the South Wales valleys to international stardom. Jones continues to reside in London, England, and has remained a celebrated figure in British popular music for more than sixty years.