Tom Jones (singer)
A Welsh powerhouse whose booming baritone and hip-shaking energy turned pop songs into timeless, sweat-soaked anthems.
Born 1940 (age 86)·Welsh singer·Birthday: June 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Tom Jones exploded from the working-class pubs of South Wales in the mid-1960s with a voice that seemed too big for his body—a raw, soulful baritone that could belt over any arrangement. His early hits like 'It's Not Unusual' and 'What's New Pussycat?' fused pop with a bluesy grit, but it was his live performances that forged his legend. In Las Vegas, he became a king, his shows a spectacle of vocal power, sheer physicality, and a charismatic rapport with an audience that spanned generations. While his style navigated the shifting tides of music, from country-rock to electronic dance collaborations, that core voice remained untouched. More than just a singer, Jones became an institution, a symbol of unapologetic virility and enduring musical passion.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Tom was born in 1940, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 70
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 80
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 86 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His 1965 single 'It's Not Unusual' launched him to international stardom, reaching the top 10 in both the UK and US.
- Won a Grammy Award in 1965 for Best New Artist.
- Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for services to music.
- His 1999 album 'Reload,' a set of duets with contemporary artists, became a massive global success, topping the UK charts.
Did You Know?
He was born Thomas Jones Woodward in Pontypridd, Wales.
He worked in a glove factory and as a construction worker before his music career took off.
Jones is a distant cousin of the singer Katherine Jenkins.
He performed the theme song for the James Bond film 'Thunderball.'
“It's not unusual to be loved by anyone. It's not unusual to have fun with anyone.”
