Tom Jones is most well-known for his sultry voice and good looks. His songs topped the charts in both America and the U.K. at the height of the British Invasion.
His first big hit, "It's Not Unusual," graced the ears of music fans everywhere in 1965. From that point on, Tom has been a household name and has even, once again, hit the TV screens, this time as a judge on The Voice UK.
One of my favorite Tom moments is this cover of "We Can Work It Out" by the Beatles. It's just so 1970s.
Before Tom became the mega-star and international sex symbol that he is today, he had to climb his way up to the top all the way from a small town in South Wales. To begin the Tom Jones biography, he was born in Treforest, a village with a population of roughly 5,000 people. His father worked in the mines, as many men in that village did. This could have also been Tom's destiny, but that's just not how the stars aligned.
These 10 things about Tom Jones may come as a surprise to you, but every fan should know about them!
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1. He Had Tuberculosis As A Kid
When Tom was 12, he spent two years mostly in bed recovering from tuberculosis. Doctors wanted to fly him to Scotland for special treatment, but his mother refused, insisting on taking care of him herself.
2. He Could Have Gone To The Mines Instead Of Becoming A Singer
While Tom was in bed recovering from his life-threatening sickness, he listened to tons of music. If he hadn't been bed-ridden, he most likely would have been sent to work in the mines like his father, and who knows whether or not he would have ended up where he did. Blessings sometimes come in very strange packages.
3. He Married Young
Tom married his high school sweetheart, Melinda Rose Woodward, when both of them were just 16 years old. Although Tom was notorious for having had many affairs throughout his career, Melinda was the only woman he ever loved, and they remained married until she passed away from cancer in 2016. Sometimes love ain't easy, but it sure is powerful.
4. He's Worth $250 Million
According to The Richest, Tom's net worth is $250 million. Holy pussycat, that's a lot of cash.
5. He Has 2 Sons
His firstborn, Mark Woodward, was born one month after Tom married Melinda at the age of 16. Then, Tom had a son named Jonathan with a 24-year-old model, Katherine Berkery, though he was still married at the time.
6. "It's Not Unusual" Wasn't Written For Him
Tom's manager wanted the song to go to Sandie Shaw to sing, but she turned it down. Tom pretty much had to beg his manager for the chance to record the song that skyrocketed him to fame.
7. He's Sung With An Impressive Number Of A-List Performers
Tom became a popular singer during an iconic time in music history, which means he's sung with the likes of Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and John Denver, to name a few. He and Elvis had jobs in Vegas at the same time and would often stay up late singing gospel songs together.
8. He Doesn't Particularly Like "What's New Pussycat?"
The song lived at the top of the charts when it came out in 1965, but Tom doesn't think that it's very on-brand for him, and it's one of his least favorite songs.
9. He Was Discovered Singing With His Local Band
When Tom was younger, he had a band called Tommy Scott and the Senators. They had minor success, but Tom's big break came when manager Gordon Mills saw the band performing in South Wales. He signed the singer as a solo artist and the rest is history.
10. He Snuck His Best Friend Out Of Venezuela
His best friend from childhood, Dai Perry, was also his bodyguard in 1974. They were in Venezuela and a scuffle between Dai and reporters transpired. Tom did everything he could to get him on a plane to Miami before the courts opened in the morning and sent him to jail. Now that's a good friend!
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