Las Vegas Weekly

November 25, 2008 · 11:47 AM

Tom Jones, at 68 and with a new album out today, is still a hip-swiveling star

By Robin Leach

Tom Jones.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

For the first time in 15 years, still-sexy at age 68 singer Tom Jones releases his new album 24 Hours today. The MGM headliner co-wrote both the lyrics and the music for half of the CD, and good friends including Bono and Edge from U2 contributed duets with him.

The Welsh singer and showman was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II three years ago for his contributions to the world of entertainment. “She tapped my shoulders with the official sword and named me both Sir Thomas and Sir Tom -- and that was the greatest thrill of my life,” he said at the time.

Over the years, Tom has sold more than 100 million albums with his hits “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat,” “She’s a Lady” and “Delilah.” On the new 24 Hours, Tom reinterprets the Bruce Springsteen song “The Hitter” for the first time in his career.

Las Vegas has been his second home since appearing here in the 1970s -- when even Elvis Presley became a fan and they’d sing together in their suite. Tom and Elvis were friends from 1965 onwards until Presley’s 1977 death.

Recently, an inaccurate Internet news report erroneously stated that he’d died. He’s told audiences at MGM that he’d read his own obituary. It serves as an introduction to the Tommy James and the Shondells’ hit “I’m Alive,” which is featured on the new album and now in his stage act.

Yes, even with approaching 70, the room keys and panties are still thrown to him on stage! All a very long way from when he was just 3 years old and singing atop an orange crate outside a Welsh village store for extra pocket money pennies during World War II!

Tom has remained married, though, to wife Linda since 1957, and they have one married son Mark who manages Tom’s career and the two grandchildren. They all live on the same Los Angeles street doors away from each other, and Tom even moved his father, a former Welsh miner, mother and sister out to California.

In all the years I’ve known Tom, I never knew that this Tom Jones has never read the famous Tom Jones book.

“It’s in my library,” said the singer, “but I never got to it. The funny thing is that Albert Finney, who starred in the movie version, is a good friend. So whenever we meet, we have this silly back and forth about who is the real Tom Jones. We get a lot of laughter out of. ‘I’m the real Tom Jones. No, I am.’ ”

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