Tom Jones

About Tom Jones

The Welsh singer Tom Jones-originally born Thomas Jones Woodward-has become a pop icon, practically defining the smarmy side of go-go swinging London. If Austin Powers had a favorite singer, it'd definitely be Tom Jones. The man could do more by unbuttoning that extra button and flaunting a tuft of chest hair than many popular bedroom R&B stars do with an arsenal of gyrations and blatant crotch-grabbing. He may seem kitschy and conventional now, but Tom Jones got his start in a psychedelic 60's garage band named Tommy Scott and the Senators, perfecting his energetic stage show clad entirely in black leather. They were big in South Wales, but had trouble breaking into the London scene. Still The Senators helped Jones hook up with influential scenester/producer Joe Meek, who convinced him to change his stage name based on the Henry Fielding novel about a highly sexualized, handsome rascal. With Meek as his manager, Jones signed a record deal with Decca Records. His debut 1964 single "Chills and Fever" showcased the singer's superhumanly powerful vocal chords, but it wasn't til the follow-up single "It's Not Unusual" came out in 1965 that Jones found the fame he'd been seeking. The single was an instant smash, although the BBC actually found Jones' entire image too sexual and refused to play it. In a match made in swinger heaven, Jones was chosen to record the theme for James Bond's 1965 outing Thunderball. Tom Jones cemented his reputation with classic singles like "What's New Pussycat?" "Green Green Grass of Home" and the vocal tour de force "Delilah."