Welshman Tom Jones has become an incredible singer, winning numerous awards and earning a knighthood. But what did he have to endure to reach these heights and achieve such immense popularity?
Childhood and youth of Tom Jones
The birth of the future celebrity took place on June 7, 1940. He became a member of a family living in the town of Pontyprit. Dad worked as a miner, and his mother was an ordinary housewife.
At birth, the guy was named Thomas Jones Woodward. The boy's parents believed in God and attended church regularly. Having matured a little, Tom began to sing in the church choir.
Having entered the local school, he was a real entertainer, participated in almost every concert, and also became a member of the vocal ensemble.
When the guy matured a little, he was offered to become a drummer in one of the rock bands. Tom decided to create his own family very early. His wedding took place at the age of 16, and after it he completely abandoned his studies.
In the late 1950s, he began to earn money by performing in pubs, and during the day he went to the construction site, where he performed the duties of a handyman.
Sometimes he was called to earn extra money at a factory specializing in the manufacture of rubber gloves. Later, the guy got a job as a salesman in a hardware store.
And in 1963, his work attracted the attention of producer Gordon Mills. He offered the guy cooperation, which a year later led to the signing of a debut contract with the recording studio Decca Records.
Musical career as an artist
In early 1965, one of the artist's songs, It's Not Unusual, enjoyed worldwide recognition. Thanks to the composition Thunderball, recorded by Tom for the film "Agent 007. Thunderball", he received a Grammy Award.
In 1968, the performer released the next album, Delilah. The disc instantly took the leading positions of all charts, lasted for three weeks.
Cover versions began to be released on the main hit of this record, and even Muslim Magomayev covered this composition. Tom performed this song in duets with such artists as Luciano Pavarotti and Adriano Celentano.
Later, Jones released three more albums, which were no less popular, and entered all the tops. Then Tom decided to try himself in a different role, different from rock and roll.
This led to a change in the audience of listeners, whose age has increased significantly.
In the 1970s, the performer released several albums at once, toured with a new program, and also created his own TV program, to which celebrities from the music industry were invited as stars. Among them was even the famous Elvis.
In the early 1980s, the musician released several more albums, which were released in significant circulation. But after the death of Gordon Mills in 1986, a black streak began in Tom's career.
He even thought about leaving the stage. But his son Mark did not allow him to do this. He was able to revive his father's talent and bring him back to the stage.
In 1988, Jones released another video clip, which began to play on MTV. And soon Tom began to sing in a duet with his own son, released the first song that entered the top 100 of the British hit parade.
It was also popular in other European countries. His records began to sell again with enviable popularity, and in the 1990s Tom was even invited to visit Russia.
Artist and acting
At the same time, the singer decided to try his hand at acting. He starred in several films, playing the main roles there.
In 1997, Jones received an Oscar for the soundtrack You Can Leave Your Hat On to the film The Male Striptease.
Then the singer released several more albums, and also recorded tracks for films and cartoons. The characters of the animated film "The Simpsons" sang songs in his voice.
In 2012, the singer was called to the jury on the show "Voice", which was broadcast on the BBC channel.
And already at the end of the first season, he managed to bring his ward to victory in this project. Tom released his last album in 2015.
Personal life of Tom Jones
Marriage with Melinda Trenchard, who is a classmate, took place back in 1956. A year passed, and the couple had their first child named Mark. Then the couple decided to adopt the girl Donna. In the 1980s, Tom's grandchildren Alexandra and Emma were born.
As his musical career developed, Tom decided to move to Los Angeles. Despite the early marriage, his marriage turned out to be quite strong, and the joint life of the spouses lasted almost 60 years.
But, unfortunately, at the beginning of 2016, the artist's wife left our world, unable to cope with oncology.
What is the artist doing now?
Currently, Tom has returned to the show "The Voice" as a mentor. After the loss of his wife, he could not stand the loneliness, and, according to rumors, began dating Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla.
Jones prefers not to comment on this, but does not refute the fact of the nascent relationship. Looking at the joint photos of this couple, it becomes clear that a smile appears on the face of the musician again!
