Sir Thomas Jones Woodward OBE is a Welsh singer who was born on June 7, 1940. His career began in the 1960s with a string of top-ten singles, and he has subsequently traveled extensively, including concerts in Las Vegas from 1967 to 2011. His voice has been described as a “full-throated, muscular baritone” by AllMusic.
Jones has performed pop, R&B, show songs, country, dance, soul, and gospel. The New York Times described him as a “musical chameleon [who could] slide from deep rasp to pop coo, with a voice as velvety as it was lovely” in 2008. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, with 36 UK Top 40 hits and 19 US Top 40 hits, including “It’s Not Unusual”, “What’s New Pussycat?”, the theme song for the James Bond film Thunderball (1965), “Green, Green Grass of Home”, “Delilah”, “She’s a Lady”, “Sex Bomb”, and a cover of Prince’s “Kiss”.
Jones has also dabbled in acting, making his debut as the lead in the television film Pleasure Cove (1979). He also appears in Tim Burton’s film Mars Attacks! as himself. (1996). For hosting the television series This Is Tom Jones, he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1970. He made his dramatic acting debut in an episode of Playhouse Presents in 2012. In 1966, he got a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, in 1989, an MTV Video Music Award, and in 2003, he received two Brit Awards: Best British Male and Outstanding Contribution to Music. He was awarded an OBE in 1998 and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 for his contributions to music. He saw a rebirth of prominence in the 2010s as a coach on the talent show The Voice UK (2012–present).