Sir Tom Jones's Biography
Tom Jones Facts
Spouse(s) / Partner(s)
Tom Jones was married to Melinda Rose Woodward - known as Linda - until she died in 2016.
clear
Born Thomas Jones Woodward on 7 June 1940 in Pontypridd, Wales, Tom Jones is the son of a miner.
At 16, Tom Jones left school and a year later he married Linda Trenchard - just before their son Mark was born.
Tom and Linda had been married for 59 years when she died in April 2016.
Tom Jones had jobs as a builder, labourer and salesman, but in 1963 he turned his singing into a profession when he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, playing the working men's clubs in south Wales.
In 1964, Tom Jones and his band were signed to Decca.
Their first single Chills And Fever was not a commercial success but the next record It's Not Unusual became a mega-hit. According to Tom Jones's official site, on March 1, 1965 It's Not Unusual became Number 1, in spite of the BBC refusing to play it.
The 1960s saw Tom Jones's career take off. He had hits with the likes of Once Upon A Time, With These Hands, What's New Pussycat, the theme tune to the James Bond film Thunderball, Green, Green Grass Of Home and Delilah.
Just as the 1960s had been an exciting period for Tom Jones, so the 1970s were more difficult. He still had some hits, and his fame had spread to the USA, where he moved in 1974, partly because of the high rate of tax in the UK.
In 1977 his single Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow proved to be his last success for a decade.
On 5 August 1986 Gordon Mills, Tom Jones's long-time manager, died. Tom's son Mark took over and modernised his father's image and in April 1987 Tom Jones was back in the charts with A Boy From Nowhere and then a re-release of It's Not Unusual. His re-emergence in the 1990s was topped off by the album 'Reload' which features various duets. It has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
On 28 May 2005 Tom Jones performed a one-off concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd, to celebrate his 65th birthday. 25,000 people attended Tom Jones's first performance in Pontypridd since 1964.
As part of the Queen's New Year's Honours 2005/6, Tom Jones was knighted. In December 2008, The Times published an interview with Sir Tom Jones, in which he talked for the first time about his illegitimate son Jonathan as his father. In 2010 Sir Tom Jones had another chart success with the studio album, Praise and Blame.
In 2012, he became one of the coaches on The Voice UK, however in August 2015, it was announced that he would be leaving the expert panel, which would instead comprise of Paloma Faith, Boy George, Ricky Wilson and will.i.am.
However, when The Voice moved to ITV from the BBC, Tom Jones was revealed to on the new panel of coaches in 2017.
In July 2017, it was revealed that Sir Tom Jones would make his Proms debut later in the year.
Back to Top
At 16, Tom Jones left school and a year later he married Linda Trenchard - just before their son Mark was born.
Tom and Linda had been married for 59 years when she died in April 2016.
Tom Jones had jobs as a builder, labourer and salesman, but in 1963 he turned his singing into a profession when he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, playing the working men's clubs in south Wales.
In 1964, Tom Jones and his band were signed to Decca.
Their first single Chills And Fever was not a commercial success but the next record It's Not Unusual became a mega-hit. According to Tom Jones's official site, on March 1, 1965 It's Not Unusual became Number 1, in spite of the BBC refusing to play it.
The 1960s saw Tom Jones's career take off. He had hits with the likes of Once Upon A Time, With These Hands, What's New Pussycat, the theme tune to the James Bond film Thunderball, Green, Green Grass Of Home and Delilah.
Just as the 1960s had been an exciting period for Tom Jones, so the 1970s were more difficult. He still had some hits, and his fame had spread to the USA, where he moved in 1974, partly because of the high rate of tax in the UK.
In 1977 his single Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow proved to be his last success for a decade.
On 5 August 1986 Gordon Mills, Tom Jones's long-time manager, died. Tom's son Mark took over and modernised his father's image and in April 1987 Tom Jones was back in the charts with A Boy From Nowhere and then a re-release of It's Not Unusual. His re-emergence in the 1990s was topped off by the album 'Reload' which features various duets. It has sold over 4 million copies worldwide.
On 28 May 2005 Tom Jones performed a one-off concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd, to celebrate his 65th birthday. 25,000 people attended Tom Jones's first performance in Pontypridd since 1964.
As part of the Queen's New Year's Honours 2005/6, Tom Jones was knighted. In December 2008, The Times published an interview with Sir Tom Jones, in which he talked for the first time about his illegitimate son Jonathan as his father. In 2010 Sir Tom Jones had another chart success with the studio album, Praise and Blame.
In 2012, he became one of the coaches on The Voice UK, however in August 2015, it was announced that he would be leaving the expert panel, which would instead comprise of Paloma Faith, Boy George, Ricky Wilson and will.i.am.
However, when The Voice moved to ITV from the BBC, Tom Jones was revealed to on the new panel of coaches in 2017.
In July 2017, it was revealed that Sir Tom Jones would make his Proms debut later in the year.
Back to Top
Latest User CommentsAdd your comment
