Tom Jones

Grammy Award winning artist Tom Jones will hit the road this summer on a U.S. and U.K. tour. The tour kicks off in Cornwall and will wrap up in Tulsa, OK in October. The soulful singer, known for his powerful, baritone voice, is supporting his new album Long Lost Suitcase, which accompanies his new book Over the Top and Back.

The singer’s six-decade career launched in the 1960s. Jones released a string of hits, including “It’s Not Unusual,” “Delilah,“ “What’s New Pussycat,” “Kiss,” “Green, Green Grass of Home,” “She’s a Lady,” and “Sex Bomb.”

Called a musical “shape shifter” by the New York Times, Jones’ musical range includes R&B, pop, rock, country, show tunes, gospel, dance and soul.

Born Thomas John Woodward, his career began when he sang with Tommy Scott and the Senators, a beat group in Wales. Gordon Mills spotted Jones at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery. Mills became his manager, changed his stage name to “Tom Jones” and got the singer a recording contract with Decca.

“Chills and Fever,” his first single, did not chart, but his second single, “It’s Not Unusual,” became an international hit and launched his career. The single peaked at number 1 on the UK charts and reached the top 10 in the U.S.

Jones performed in Las Vegas for the first time in 1967, and continued to play at least once per week until 2011.

Throughout his career, Jones has dabbled in acting, ran a successful variety TV show called This is Tom Jones, and wrote several hit songs.

In the 1980s, he shifted gears and began recording country music. Between 1980 and 1986, he had nine songs reach the top 40 on the U.S. country charts.

In 1989, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Frederick’s of Hollywood. In the 90s, he released a new album – The Lead And How To Swing It – which spawned the hit “If I Only Knew.” The single peaked at number 11 on the UK charts.

The 77-year-old iconic singer has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and has 36 Top 40 hits. He won the 1966 Grammy Award for Best New Artist and an MTV Video Music Award in 1989. Jones also won two Brit Awards: Outstanding Contribution to Music (2003) and Best British Male (2000). In 2006, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to music.