TIME TO GET TICKETS FOR THE VOICE
The first chance to get FREE tickets to see Tom on The Voice! The dates are Wed 18th Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15; Thu 19th Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15; Sat 21st Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15; Sun 22nd Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15. You must be 18 or over to attend. (I believe these are the dates the show will be recorded, not broadcast.)
If you can be there, you may want to visit the Applausestore.com for free tickets to The Voice. After you register, just move your cursor to the right and click The Voice on the list of shows. More dates will be announced soon. (Thanks, Chas)
First, let’s take a moment to think of Elvis Presley on this day that would have been his 77th birthday. He lives on through his music and we’re still so fortunate that he shared it with us!
Their fans know Tom and Elvis were great friends — singing gospel together and gaining inspiration from each other.
Their friendship is part of the reason we’ve been given such wonderful gifts of music from each of them.
We are, indeed, fortunate, aren’t we?
MORE NEWS! The record — yes! the vinyl! — Tom recorded with Jack White will be released on March 7 and will be available digitally on iTunes the same day. Come back for the next post (Tuesday) for more news about that. (By the way, you can see Jack White Monday night in the USA on American Pickers on the History Channel. It’s on a few times, so check listings.)
So, of course, with a release date announced, this recording happening and we apparently don’t, in this instance, have to wait for the “OFFICIAL” word that it’s true. Though dozens of news organizations have carried stories about this. OFFICIAL Tom Jones is still touting those recipes (in which you learn that the “ingredient in pork shank” is — wait for it! — “pork shank”). You’d think they’d care more about discussing a much-anticipated recording than telling his fans what Sir Tom enjoyed eating last year. Really.
Tom Jones ends his 42-year love affair with Las Vegas
Wales On Sunday | 8 January 2012
HE’S made everything from the Statue Of Liberty to part of the Orient Express disappear, but now David Copperfield has gone one bigger – he’s made Sir Tom Jones vanish from Las Vegas.
The award-winning US illusionist has taken over from the Voice Of The Valleys’ resident Vegas slot –putting an end to the legendary Ponty singer’s record-breaking 42-year run.
But, for the legion of fans who’ve made the pilgrimage to Sin City to catch Jones in action since his 1969 debut at The Flamingo Hotel, the biggest mystery is why the singer seems to have voluntarily given up his crown as The King of The Strip.
“People would literally come from all over the world to see him here and they just can’t get their heads around why this decision’s been made, I know I can’t,” said Ellen Sterling, the Vegas-based journalist behind the online US fansite dedicated to the star, www.tomjonesintl.com
“The Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand is a wonderful, intimate venue and would always be packed out for Tom. It was much more than just your standard gig experience too, because you could rub shoulders with Tom by the hotel pool and in the restaurant or casino.
“He’d always be very accessible and would happily pose for pictures, sign autographs or just have a chat – he’d would never fail to be polite and welcoming.”
And Sterling estimated that Sir Tom’s tally of Vegas appearances since that first late 60s foray probably ran into thousands.
“I once counted all my ticket stubs from 2005 to 2010 and figured out Tom was doing roughly about 10 weeks there each year, that’s about 140 shows every 12 months,” she said.
“In August 2010, the last time Tom came here, the tickets were $92.50 – but even then the majority of his 14-night stint was sold out, with the remaining shows close to the 700-seat capacity. So it’s not like he was failing to do good box office business.”
However, there is speculation that the move could be a further attempt to reinvent Jones’ credibility and image away from that of the medallion-wearing, hen-party favourite.
It was announced late last year that Sir Tom would be a “mentor” on new BBC talent show The Voice.
The 71-year-old performer recently ditched the hair dye to embrace his natural grey look, as well as taking a new musical direction on his 2010 album Praise & Blame.
It was also announced this week he would be teaming up with former White Stripes frontman Jack White to cover the Howlin’ Wolf song Evil.
“Put it this way, I don’t think anything that happens in Tom’s career happens by accident, everything is subject to careful thought and planning and I’d imagine that’s the case here too,” said Sterling.
“Ultimately, only those who manage Tom’s career can say why this has happened, but I know there are lots who’ve been deeply saddened by the news.”
And the sentiment was borne out by many of the subscribers to Sterling’s website.
One, calling herself SusannePDX, said: “Tom has callously tossed aside his old band (Jones ditched his veteran backing group for a younger model in 2009) and now us. Happy New Year Tom!”.
Meanwhile, Cyndy Stiff wrote, “This is heartbreaking. Tom is so loved over here and I just feel like he or his management have turned their backs on all of us.”
Another posted: “Stunned and saddened, my Vegas trips were the highlight of the year,” while one Llantrisant-born Californian called Shirley recalled first seeing Jones live in his early days at Wood Road Working Men’s Club in Pontypridd.
“We could only afford to have one night out a week and we always made it one of the nights Tom would be singing somewhere,” she said.
“Since moving abroad though, I saw Tom at the MGM almost every time he played. He’s been part of my life for so long and I never thought that would end.”
Jones’ management were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.