Tom Jones Biography

Curly headed, charismatic, and slightly campy Tom Jones with his trademark booming baritone is best known as a pop singer/nightclub act from the '60s on, but he has also appeared in a few films where he generally good-naturedly parodies himself. He was born Thomas Jones Woodward in Pontypridd, Wales. He became a singer at age 23, billing himself as Tommy Scott and singing with the Senators. He went solo the following year and had a brief record contract, returned to sing in Wales, and by the end of the year he changed his name to Tom Jones with the help of singer-turned-manager Gordon Mills who got him a contract with Decca. Jones had his first hit in 1965 with "It's Not Unusual." His flamboyance and knock-em-dead sex appeal helped make him a major star with four more hits that year. In 1969, he starred in his own television variety show This Is Tom Jones. It was alternately filmed in both London and Hollywood. After the show ended in 1971, he basically left recording in favor of a career as a Las Vegas nightclub singer. He began his sporadic film career in the early '70s. In the early '80s, Jones began recording again and touring. He continues to occasionally appear in feature films and on television. - Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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