Fan Fare
Here’s where you’ll find TJ photos and stories that don’t fit into any other categories. It is, as its name says, just for fans — and, hopefully, for fun.
Trivial In the Largest Sense, But A Very Nice Compliment For Sir Tom
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
Leslie Garrett, an opera singer who does pop and jazz, too, is now playing the Mother Abbess (you know, Climb Every Mountain) in the London production of The Sound of Music. She was interviewed by 020.com, a London travel and entertainment site.
She was asked:“As one of the finest voices in Opera, what other singers (in particular outside of Opera) do you admire?”
She replied: “Tom Jones has a fantastic voice and has stood the test of time. I admire his longevity and the way he re-invents himself and connects with the younger audience. I admire all performers who are able to do that. I admire Madonna for that reason. Vocally, I think Heather Small has an incredible voice…”
NOTES: Remember, Tom did a duet of You Need Love Like I Do with Heather Small on Reload. And, apparently, like they just did when they were casting the umpteenth version of Grease on Broadway in the US, they seemed to cast the lead role of Maria in this new London Sound of Music via a TV contest, too — a totally cringe-inducing idea.
March 30th, 2007 at 4:47 am
I have a lot of time for Lesley Garrett and this isn’t the first time she’s complimented Tom. She is a wonderful singer who has received a lot of undeserved criticism from the snooty classical music fraternity here because of the crossover work she has done and her desire to make Opera more accessible to people. She is one of the few singers who I think is of sufficient calibre to merit a duet with Tom (I forgot to mention her when the questions was asked previously) and she has said herself that she would love to sing with him. As a matter of interest she is one of the celebrities in the audience of the show you are going to see on BBC America this weekend. She can be seen dancing away during Sex Bomb!