[1963]
Thomas Jones Woodward begin singing professionally, performing
as Tommy Scott with the Senators, a Welsh beat group.
[1964]
He records a handful of solo tracks with record producer
Joe Meek and shops them to various record companies to
little success. Later in the year Peter Sullivan, a producer
of Decca Records, discovers Tommy Scott performing in
a club and directs him to manager Phil Solomon. It's a
short-lived partnership and the singer soon moves back
to Wales, where he continues to sing in local clubs. At
one of the shows, he gains the attention of an artist
manager, Gordon Mills. Mills renames him Tom Jones and
helps him record his first single "Chills and Fever".
[1965]
"It's Not Unusual" become a number one hit in the U.K.
and a Top Ten hit in the U.S.A. A series of hits follows:
"Once upon a Time", "Little Lonely One", "With These Hands".
He records also some film themes, including the hit
"What's
New Pussycat?" and "Thunderball".
[1969-1971]
1988
1993
1994
2000
Jones'
popularity began to slip somewhat by the middle of 1966,
causing Mills to redesign the singer's image into a more
respectable, mature tuxedoed crooner. Jones also began
to sing material that appealed to a broad audience, like
the country songs "Green, Green Grass of Home" and "Detroit
City." The strategy worked, as he returned to the top
of the charts in the U.K. and began hitting the Top 40
again in the U.S. For the remainder of the '60s, he scored
a consistent string of hits in both Britain and America.
At the end of the decade, Jones relocated to America,
where he hosted the television variety program, "This
Is Tom Jones." Running between 1969 and 1971, the show
was a success and laid the groundwork for the singer's
move to Las Vegas in the early '70s. Once he moved to
Vegas, Jones began recording less, choosing to concentrate
on his lucrative club performances. After Gordon Mills
died in the late '70s, Jones' son, Mark Woodward, became
the singer's manager. The change in management prompted
Jones to begin recording again. This time, he concentrated
on the country market, releasing a series of slick Nashville-styled
country-pop albums in the early '80s that earned him a
handful of hits.
Jones'
next image makeover came in 1988, when he sang Prince's
"Kiss" with the electronic dance outfit, the Art of Noise.
The single became a Top Ten hit in the U.K. and reached
the American Top 40, which led to a successful concert
tour and a part in a recording of Dylan Thomas' voice
play, Under Milk Wood. The singer then returned to the
club circuit, where he stayed for several years. In 1993,
Jones performed at the Glastonbury Festival in England,
where he won an enthusiastic response from the young crowd.
Soon, he was on the comeback trail again, releasing the
alternative-dance-pop album The Lead and How to Swing
It in the fall of 1994; the record was a moderate hit,
gaining some play in dance clubs.
