Did You Know...

His beginnings in a small town in Wales were not as glamorous. Thomas Jones Woodward, as he was born, had a fairly normal and happy childhood. He began singing at an early age. But when he was 12 years old, Tom Jones contracted tuberculosis and had a brush with death. Young Jones recovered and was soon on his way to becoming a superstar.

His true musical career began in 1963 when he changed his surname from Woodward to Scott and created the group Tommy Scott and The Senators. The following year he worked with Joe Meek to record a few records that would later be rejected by record companies. Jones' real break came when Decca Records producer Peter Sullivan discovered the young talent. After being placed in the hands of manager Phil Solomon, he got a taste of the music business and decided he didn't like it. Jones moved back to Wales where he continued to sing for pleasure at local pubs. It was in the Top Hat Club in Merthyr Tydfil where Jones was again discovered by an agent. Gordon Mills soon convinced Jones to sign, and to start going by the name Tom Jones.

In 1964 Jones released Chills and Fever, which was not a great success. But the following year his career began to take off with the hit album It's Not Unusual. The title track climbed quickly to number one on the UK charts, and later in another 12 countries. The song is now a classic. The song, composed by Gordon Mills and Les Reed, paired with Jones' sexy image and powerful vocals, soon caught the media's attention. 'Once Upon A Time' and 'With These Hands' also enjoyed attention from the media and fans during the same year. Jones also hit it big when he performed 'What's New Pussycat?' by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The song became an instant hit in the UK as well as the US.