Tom Jones International

Please be sure to answer our May Question of the Month (below).


OK, the Press of Atlantic City is wrong about so much in this entertainment brief. Yes, we know we carp, but aren’t there bigger hits than Once Up A Time and Little Lonely One that define the Jones songbook? And, maybe we’re prejudiced, but we’ve seen some great entertainment here in Las Vegas. Why is being identified with Las Vegas a bad thing? But we really believe people who imply that Las Vegas is a bad thing are absolutely living in the past and totally clueless. It is what one makes it. But, whomever wrote this is certainly right about Tom’s musical dexterity.

He’s at Harrah’s for only two nights — as Deborah Gibson’s (!) month-long gig begins Sunday, May 4 — and we know good seats were a difficult prospect, as the casino held just about everything in the center sections of the floor and balcony for their high rollers, but we hope everyone has a blast. Please let us know.

Tom Jones at Harrah’s

WHO IS HE: With the possible exceptions of Wayne Newton and Elvis Presley, no artist is more synonymous with the Las Vegas casino performance style than Tom Jones. The Welsh baritone was part of the original British invasion during the 1960s and hit the big time with the 1965 hit single It’s Not Unusual. Other hits, such as Once Upon a Time, Little Lonely One, With These Hands and What’s New Pussycat? were soon to follow. Over the years, Jones covered various styles of music, including pop, rock, country, dance, techno and showtunes, yet his distinct singing style has remained a constant. His 1988 cover of Prince’s Kiss is a good example of Jones’ experimentation with different genres.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Despite the fact that Jones is now 67 years old, he still receives his fair share of women’s lingerie at every show. The man has been considered a sex symbol since the mid-1960s and is notorious for working this angle into his live show, which is sure to feature an unbuttoned shirt, tight pants, gyrating hips and an abundance of hit singles. It’s not unusual to see 50- and 60-year-old women screaming and carrying on like teenage school girls at a Tom Jones concert. The lingerie tossing is as much a ritual at a Jones show as tossing a bouquet of roses to a stage actor is at the end of a theater production.

SHOW INFO: Tickets are $65, $75 and $100. The shows begin 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3, at Harrah’s Concert Venue.

Photo here of Tom having fun onstage in AC is © by Lois Ann Gooding. If you’ve seen him a few times in person, you likely know that look — and enjoy it. He’s clearly a man who is fortunate to love what he does.