Tom Jones, Tom Jones

Back in the early 1960s, a certain Thomas John Woodward of Pontypridd "up the Rhondda" left the drudgery of life as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman by day and rough "Teddy Boy" by night, singing in workmen's clubs in the Valleys with a local band Tommy Scott and the Senators, to become the purveyor of the biggest power-ballads in town - with top-selling hits on both sides of the Atlantic - in a remarkably short space of time indeed, thanks to tireless marketing by his manager Gordon Mills and the songwriting genius of Les Reed.

It helped of course, that Tom had, and still has, one of the most remarkable voices in the business. Superstars from Sinatra to his occasional chum Elvis heaped praise upon him. He sold out shows in Vegas, sang the title song for the Bond movie Thunderball, had his own television show that was top of the ratings in both the UK and in the US, and everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Cher to Aretha to Dusty to Stevie Wonder to Mama Cass lined up to duet with him.

His lavish lifestyle hit the headlines almost as much as his career did - although he remained married to Linda for 56 years until her death in 2016, he was regularly "caught with his pants down" in a string of affairs (one of which bore a son, whose parentage Tom denied for decades). As a tax exile in Los Angeles in the 1970s, in a mansion previously owned by Dean Martin, his luxurious party lifestyle was the envy of millions in bankrupt, strike-hit Britain. Nevertheless, Tom Jones was "one of ours" and rightly became a bit of "national treasure". Nowadays he is as revered as ever, living back in London, still selling shed-loads of records, star of Royal celebrations and the festival circuit, and on prime-time telly as (on-off) judge on The Voice. Oh, and of course he was knighted by Her Maj in 2005...

We love him as much as the rest of Great Britain does, of course, and raise a glass on his 80th birthday to one of the best male singers this country has ever produced! [And to his incredible performing trousers as well...]

Tom Jones- Help Yourself

Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual

Tom Jones - We Can Work It Out

Tom Jones - Delilah

Tom Jones and Mousse T - Sex Bomb

Many happy returns, Sir Tom Jones OBE (born Thomas John Woodward, 7th June 1940)

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Footnote:

The reason we always refer to the great man in duplicate (as per the title of this very post) is due to this faboo tribute (of course)...

Space - Ballad of Tom Jones

"I've never thrown my knickers at you." But many girls did...