Ravinia 2026 Issue 6

when we were kids—and then, of course, we found out about the birds and the bees together,” Jones once told NPR with a laugh. Tom and Linda were married for almost years, until her death in , all the while he was one show busi- ness’s most hotly desired gures. And no matter what obstacles were put before him, Jones’s dreams were never dimmed or denied. He has sold well over million records worldwide, with US Top hits. He won an MTV Video Music Award in for “Kiss,” and in he became a prominent member of British chivalry when Queen Elizabeth II made him “Sir” Tom Jones. His tough, gritty, emotive, blue-eyed soul air was heavily in uenced by rock, R&B, and many s Southern soul-rock practitioners, including Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Solomon Burke, and Jerry Lee Lewis. RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 11