Tom Jones Quotes

Dean Martin always dressed very well but then he was a good looking fella with a good physique so he could wear anything.

I think teen-age love is a great thing. There’s nothing quite like it and never will be for the rest of your life.

When I started recording, I thought I’d be able to do all kinds of records: jazz, country, dance – and I’ve always wanted to do a gospel album.

Time is my enemy. Time will catch up with me vocally. And I dread that. I dread to think about life without singing.

I got married when I was 16 so I had to do shift-work to make ends meet.

I’ve always worn jewellery but for a time it went out of fashion. Like grungy and punk bands didn’t wear jewellery because it was stupid.

There’s plenty for me to do. There are more albums. I’ll record as long as I can and as long as my voice works as well as it does now and for as long as people want to hear me.

Music is great; it all depends on what mood you‘re in, what you want to listen to. If it’s party time, you listen to, you know, party music, if you want to dance with somebody. But then again, if it’s a slow dance, you need something slow.

I come from a coal-mining, working-class background. My father was a coal miner.

I’ve always liked to dance – I’ve got a natural rhythm.

I don’t think you can sing about certain things when you’re a teen-ager or in your early 20s, because you haven‘t lived long enough. So I think living gives you character and that comes out in your voice.

I have a weakness for watches. I have to stop myself buying more.

I’ve tried wearing more than one ring on one hand and it doesn’t look good. It’s overkill, I think. So I think a ring on either hand. Nine times out of ten I’ll go for pinky rings, but not always.

My real name was Thomas Jones Woodward, so I dropped the Woodward.

I’ve always felt myself as being a serious singer.

First of all, I love singing. I mean, I get out of bed and I sing. I can’t help it.

I love listening to new stuff, at home in LA I always have the radio on to hear what is happening.

So when I realised I could sing for a living – do what I loved and be paid for it – I thought, ‘This is unbelievable. Unbelievable!’ And that feeling has never left me.

As for the music business itself, the key things have not changed that much. It operates like any business and money still keeps things moving.

Winning the Outstanding Contribution award is great, because you know you have won in advance. Previously, I have been really nervous during the ceremony because you have no idea if you are going to get called up on stage. This time I could relax and enjoy myself.

Oh yeah, I would have been a coal miner, I would think, if I hadn’t had tuberculosis when I was 12.

I’m a lyric man – I’m always looking for meaningful songs.

I didn’t have to play rugby that well, and I didn’t have to play cricket that well, because I had this voice.

You can’t be a sexy person unless you have something sexy to offer. With me, it’s my voice: the way that I sing, the way I express myself when I sing.

I think it’s good that I had some experience of the real world before I became successful. You know, having to get up in the morning and going to work in construction.