Sir Tom In the News, What's New, Pussycat?
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Two Honors For Sir Tom: One of The Two Best Beards and One of the 10 Best Shows: Which Is More Significant?
Sunday, December 28th, 2008
First, the UK organization called The Beard Liberation Front (BLF), which campaigns against “beardism,” prejudice against those who sport beards (and who saw the word entered into the Oxford English Dictionary as a result of their campaign, has named Sir Tom’s one of the two “Beards of the Year,” with the Archbishop of Canterbury joining him at the top of the list. Excerpts from the article below:
Prince William’s beard honoured
Prince William has been honoured for giving beards a positive image after sporting thick facial hair over the Christmas period….The Prince finished as a runner-up in the annual Beard of the Year award.
The Telegraph
The overall title was shared between the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and ageing singer Tom Jones.
The Beard Liberation Front, an informal network of beard wearers, has recognised Britain’s best beards for the past 14 years….The award aims to highlight those who have given beards a positive image in the public eye during the year.
“A concern this year was beardism, irrational prejudice against the hirsute, and while Tom Jones sex symbol status overrode this, it was certainly a factor for other winners.”
AND…
The Las Vegas Review Journal, the daily paper here, has a show reviewer named Mike Weatherford who is a real Tom Jones fan. He doesn’t varnish the truth, and his assessments of Tom’s shows is always honest. (Last January he suggested a set list change might be in order.)
At any rate, on Sunday he compiled his annual end-of-the-year list of the 10 Best Shows. Sir Tom is at #6: “TOM JONES — A new album should bring even better things in ’09 from the 68-year-old singer who celebrated 40 consecutive years in Vegas with an MGM Grand forum that lets him be both wise and eternally horny.”
The rest of his list — 1. Jersey Boys; 2. Tony Bennett; 3. Bette Midler The Showgirl Must Go On; 4. George Carlin; 5. O (or Love or Ka — any Cirque show except Criss Angel’s Believe); 7. The Second City (now, lamentably, gone from The Strip); 8. Blue Man Group; 9. Donny and Marie Osmond; 10. Cher
The only quibble with his list is #10, Cher. Her show is too-much glitz and too-little Cher. The others — and I would substitute Love or Ka for O, but that’s very subjective) are terrific.
December 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Great articles but I notice constant references to Sir Tom age. The first titles him “the aging singer” and the second mentions “68″ as do most articles. To put a positive spin on it, we can assume his age is constantly noted because he is such a fine specimen of a MAN… with TALENT, a remarkable VOICE, unending ENGERY, and don’t forget the SEX APPEAL!!!!!
December 28th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
SPDX: I know for a fact that in the latter case it’s absolutely true.
December 28th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Any idea when tour dates will be announced?
December 29th, 2008 at 6:28 am
How can you compare Rowan Williams beard to Tom’s no contest as far as I’m concerned!
December 29th, 2008 at 7:33 am
No contest> Tom is the WINNER!
December 29th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Don’t think it was a contest between Tom and the archbishop once the results were announced. It was a tie and not everything must invite comparison. The best news — because the beard stuff you must admit is absolute nonsense in the long run — is Sir Tom’s ranking in the list of shows.
In a healthy economy there are approximately close to two hundred — 200!— shows and entertainments to choose from each night in Las Vegas. Even if that number is half that these days, it’s still a terrific accomplishment worth noting and congratulating him about.So, to answer my own question, that is the more significant accomplishment and it says a great deal about his position in the entertainment firmament.
(And, Gill, I think Rowan Williams’ beard has a certain casual, Brit charm.)
December 29th, 2008 at 9:20 am
“Aging singer”? Aren’t we all aging??!! smile
As a dear friend once said to me,
“It sure beats the alternative!”
December 29th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Most significant?
It all depends if you’re focused on career
or appearance. I think they are both significant!
Congratulations, Sir Tom!!!
November 27th, 2010 at 12:03 am
[...] to do with all this? Aside from the fact that, the UK’s Beard Liberation Front named his a “Beard of the Year” in 2008 and, with that beard, comes his [...]