Voices shot to pieces

[Sits]

It is often missed quite how incredible a vocalist Tom Jones is.

This.

[Ray de Galles]

He's quite widely noted as a great singer though. His entire reputation from the sixties & seventies (when Elvis praised his vocals) right through to his regular reinventions is based on the esteem his voice his held in even through all the "throwing underwear" sex symbol crap. He always used to be referred to as things like 'Jones The Voice' and such, I used to wonder if that nickname was what originally called him to mind for that TV talent show.

[Bored Of Education]

I think that you may be overestimating the public perception of him. Also, he isn't just a great vocalist, he is an astonishing vocalist not least, as you mentioned upthread, to be still doing it at his age and longevity of his career. It is like Elvis at his late 60s - early 70s peak stretched over decades. He is helped in that his register is one that is helped with the deepening of age, of course, but still it is hard to think of any singer within the pop-rock context (indeed, any context) who has kept up such a level of quality. I was wondering about Neil Diamond - and thought you had seen him live actually - but, from what you are saying 'no'. Sinatra obviously was an equally amazing vocalist - if completely different - but how many decades was it before his voice really started going?