Tom Jones

Possessing one of the most powerful and immediately identifiable voices in pop music, Sir Tom Jones was the dynamic performer of a string of hit songs between 1965 and 1972, including the irrepressible "What's New, Pussycat?" "It's Not Unusual," "Delilah" and "She's a Lady." A lengthy fallow period in the late 1970s and early 1980s preceded a comeback that remade Jones as an R&B singer and top-notch interpreter of contemporary material, as evidenced by his hit rendition of Prince's "Kiss." His revival continued for the next three decades, during which he continued to mine the soul material he loved as a youth while enjoying the praise of a generation that grew up on his '60s tracks. Knighted in 2006 for his numerous contributions to music, Jones remained among that rare class of singers who had both vocal strength and subtle phrasing, which carried his legend well into the 21st century.