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In his native Wales, he is known
as "Jones the
Voice". Today, he is one of the enduring personalities
in the music entertainment business. His unique vocal
power, ability and charismatic persona make him one of
the most respected, admired and loved performers in modern
popular music.
Tom's weighty voice is a baritone to tenor range. He
is a natural, a Welshman, a worker, an
artist.
Tom has a fundamental interest in a wide range of musical
expression. He is first and foremost a rocker with a
true rhythm and blues soul. In his youth, he was a 'Teddy
Boy', a rebel with a mind filled with music, sex and
an attitude dominated by the birth of rock 'n' roll.
But he also had ears and a natural ability that could
appreciate and understand the burgeoning styles of popular
music. The kind of material audiences in Wales in the
1950s could expect to hear depended on the venue.
If we played a YMCA on a Friday night, I would be singing
the pop songs of the day.
But it was the late 50s, early 60s, so it would be Elvis
Presley, Little Richard, Fats Domino,
Chuck Berry, they were all very much alive and kicking.
So I would do a lot of that stuff, which I really loved.
Then when we would play a working men��s
club on a Saturday night, I’d throw in a couple of
strong ballads like ”I Believe” or a Roy Orbison
ballad, because rock & roll was very new in South
Wales then, and no rock band had ever been in a working
men's club,” says
Tom.
Tom has sustained his popularity for more than four decades.
His recordings have spanned the spectrum from pop, rock
and country to classic standards, rhythm and blues to
boogie woogie and rockabilly through to contemporary
dance and urban soul.
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