At 77, Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones has still got it. His smooth, full-throated baritone voice has been a favorite of generations new and old on both sides of the Atlantic for more than six decades. On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, thousands of excited Jones fans headed to the Santa Barbara Bowl for an evening with the iconic knight. There was slightly less spring in his step, but his booming voice was as powerful as ever.
Jones, still with a tinge of his Welsh accent, performed an array of his well-known hits, including “Delilah,” “Green, Green Grass of Home,” and “It’s Not Unusual,” as well as an epic pseudo-acoustic version of “Sex Bomb” that brought the crowd to its feet. As comfortable with pop as he is with soul, blues, R&B, rock and roll, and gospel, Jones revealed why he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
With a live performance at Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee birthday celebration concert in 2012, a regular spot as a coach on The Voice U.K. (alongside will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson, and English singer Olly Murs), and his current tour, Jones has assured his legacy as one of the great crooners of our time.