Tom Jones: one for the ages

Arts & Entertainment Sound Sound What's On

Olga Azar
September 26, 2023

Image: Tom Jones. Image: supplied

If you want to take a tour of popular music from the 1960s to the present, Welsh singer Tom Jones’ decades-spanning career is a satisfying wander. Jones pops up through musical eras, working solo and with legends of entertainment of different generations and genres, and received both a Hollywood star and a knighthood. Next March, the 83-year-old brings his panache and striking baritone to A Day on the Green with the Ages & Stages tour.

Tom Jones in Las Vegas. Image: Alpha Press

Born in South Wales, Jones found early success singing in working-class pubs, and his career soared after “It’s Not Unusual”. Other chart-toppers followed, including two James Bond film hits, “What’s New Pussycat?” and “Thunderball”; and “Delilah,” and “Sexbomb.” His music can evoke a snappy, Las Vegas vibe (where he performed regularly from 1967 to 2011) but also a sense of melancholy, as in “Green Green Grass of Home,” about a prisoner dreaming of reprieve. Later works with artists as varied as The Cardigans, Van Morrisson, Morrissey and Vincent Moon have cemented his perennial place in pop culture.

Tom Jones with Nina Persson of The Cardigans singing Burning Down The House. Image: video still

Jones interviewed some of the best-known figures of his era on the TV show This Is Tom Jones (1969-1971), was friends with Elvis Presley, performed at The White House during Bill Clinton’s presidency, met the Queen a couple of times, and appeared on the original Fantasy Island, among other assorted sorties. Along the way, he has remained beloved by his fans, the sort of relatable bloke to share a pint and a tale.

Delta Goodrem Aug 2023 Photo: Carlotta Moye

Joining Jones at A Day on the Green is Australia’s own Delta Goodrem, an ARIA and Logie award- winner, known for tunes such as “Born to Try” and “Innocent Eyes.” Goodrem has also forayed into film and TV, judging on The Voice Australia and playing Olivia Newton-John in the biopic, Hopelessly Devoted to You.

Indie group Germein, made up of three harmonising sisters from South Australia, will also perform.

Odds are good that Tom Jones will perform at least a few of his best-loved hits along with songs from more recent albums; one thing is certain: notes of Las Vegas are coming to a vineyard in the Southern Highlands.