Tom Jones

Biography: Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE, known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music - pop, rock, R&B;, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel - and sold over 100 million records.

Jones began singing at an early age: he would regularly sing at family gatherings, weddings and in his school choir. Jones is dyslexic and did not like school or sports but was able to gain confidence through his singing talent. At 12 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Many years later he said; "I spent two years in bed recovering. It was the worst time of my life." During convalescence he could do little else but listen to music and draw.

Jones? bluesy singing style developed out of the sound of American soul music. His early influences included blues and R & B singers Little Richard, Solomon Burke, Jackie Wilson and Brook Benton as well as Jerry Lee Lewis?s music.

In March 1957, Jones married his high school girlfriend, Melinda Trenchard when they were expecting their first child, both aged 16. The couple had a son named Mark who was born the month following their wedding. Jones has remained married to Melinda despite his many well publicised infidelities. His philandering once led her to beat him black and blue.

Jones has had affairs with such well-known women as Mary Wilson of The Supremes, former Miss World Marjorie Wallace and Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson claims that she lost her virginity to Jones.

One affair resulted in the birth of a son. In October 1987, while on tour in America, Jones had a brief relationship with model Katherine Berkery. Three months later Berkery discovered that she was pregnant. After a lengthy fight and DNA testing an American court ruled in 1989 that Jones is the boy?s father. He flatly denied paternity for 20 years but finally admitted it in 2008. However he made no suggestion that he wanted to meet his son Jonathan Berkery.

Jones had an internationally successful television variety show titled This Is Tom Jones from 1969 to 1971. The show, which was worth a reported $9m to Jones over three years, was broadcast by ITV in the UK and by ABC in America. From 1980 to 1981 he had a second television variety show, The Tom Jones Show that lasted for 24 episodes.

Jones moved to the United States in 1974 on the advice of his accountant in order to avoid Britain?s newly introduced 83% top rate of tax, buying Dean Martin?s former mansion in the East Gate Old Bel Air in Los Angeles