'Tiger' Tom Jones releases 42nd album

Singer Robbie Williams has called him the ultimate legend. The Queen knighted him. People adore him on The Voice UK, where he has been a long-standing coach. And now Sir Tom Jones, who's had both his COVID shots and described himself as "bulletproof," is looking forward to performing live again.

With an expressive voice and plenty of sex appeal, he was bound to get noticed. When music manager Gordon Mills heard Tom's voice, he also heard the coffers ringing and took the young son of a Welsh miner under his wing. For the next 20 years he was Jones' manager and friend. It was Mills who suggested to the young Thomas John Woodward — born June 7, 1940 — that he change his name to Tom Jones.

While his first single, "Chills and Fever," may have bombed, "It's Not Unusual" propelled Jones to global fame. Unsurprisingly, he was drafted to sing the theme song for the 1965 James Bond film, "Thunderball." "Delilah," "What's New Pussycat" and "The Green, Green Grass of Home" soon followed.

From then on, the only way was up. In 1967 Jones sang for the Queen and the royal family, and accepted a gold record from Teldec Director Kurt Richter in Germany the following year (picture). In 1969, he got his own TV show "This is Tom Jones," and his guests included Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles.

Screaming teenage girls and women: aware of the effects of his sensual charisma, Jones brandished it liberally, casting a spell on female fans. In the early 1970s, he drove crowds wild with "Delilah" or "She's a Lady." Decades later, in 2000, the 60-year-old had the same effect on his earlier fans' daughters, but with his hit, "Sex Bomb."

With his signature skin-tight pants and chest baring shirts, Jones was the consummate sex symbol. But despite countless affairs, he remained married to his childhood sweetheart Linda for 59 years. In the late 70s the "Tiger" lost his roar — he was unpopular in the new post-hippie era. His record contract with RCA expired, and he moved his family to the US.

A well-oiled entertainment machine, Jones knew what the audience wanted. With his show-act run in Vegas, he got over a musical lull and found fresh verve in the 1980s, his music taking a glamorous turn. He began working with guitarist Duane Eddy, the "Titan and Twang" and covered the famous Prince song "Kiss" in 1988: the start of a spectacular comeback.

Experimenting with different sounds in the '90s, he sang a number of duets. In 1999 he released the album "Reload," in which he reinterpreted rock and pop classics. Mousse T — a producer from Hanover — wrote "Sex Bomb" for Jones. The summer hit earned Jones the "Bambi" prize in 2000, for Comeback of the Year.

In 2003, Jones told the German "Für Sie" women's magazine that he was not always happy about the excesses at his concerts. "Sometimes I pray before the concert that the ladies will keep their underwear to themselves, but then the bras and panties fly." He added that he never collected them.

The hair may have greyed but the tiger within is still not quite tamed. With the release of his 42nd album, Jones plans to keep going and with a healthy eating and exercise regimen, as his plan is to perform "Sex Bomb" live onstage when he's 90.