Quote Of The Day By Tom Jones: 'I Think It's Good That I Had Some Experience Of The Real World Before ...'

It's not unusual to bop around while listening to Tom Jones. Thanks to a legitimately powerful, booming baritone and unbridled stage swagger, Jones exploded onto the pop music scene right from the get-go in 1965 with his debut album "Along Came Jones." He nabbed a Grammy for best new artist in 1966 and cranked out 28 Billboard Hot 100 songs from 1965 to 1988 (26 of them from 1965 to 1973). But no matter his success, Jones' feet remain firmly on the ground.

Jones' story might not be precisely rags to riches, but it it's definitely soot to riches. Born Thomas Woodward in 1940, he comes from a working-class family in a coal mining town in Pontypridd, Wales. He took a shining to American musical icons like Elvis (who later serenaded Jones in the shower) at an early age, sang in a choir, got tuberculosis at 12, quit school at 16, got married at 17, and earned money however he could, including selling vacuums door-to-door. He joined the band Tommy Scott & the Senators in 1963, caught the attention of producer Gordon Mills, and relocated to London to kick off his career. Two years later Jones released his first album, including, "It's Not Unusual," which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. That's about 10 years from quitting school to releasing a hit record.

Ten years isn't a terribly long time to strive for one's goals, but it's long enough. This is why Jones remains appreciative of his success and doesn't take anything for granted, and that's why he gets our quote of the day.

As Tom Jones told The Guardian in 2010, "I think it's good that I had some experience of the real world before I became successful. When I realized I could do what I loved and be paid for it — I thought, 'This is unbelievable.' And that feeling has never left me."

By the time of that quote, Jones had had a lot of time to reflect on his life and career. He'd released 39 studio albums and still had five official releases to go. He'd gotten his Grammy and been knighted in 2005, officially making him Sir Tom. No matter all of his affairs, he'd also stayed married to his one and only wife, Melinda Trenchard, since he was 17 until her death in 2016. That's plenty to be grateful for and very little to complain about. But, it's also easy for folks to take things for granted, which, judging by Jones' statement, he never did. He wanted to make his hobby his profession, as he later told Q with Tom Power, and never lost sight of this original intent. 

Jones is known for being an approachable, regular kind of guy. The Guardian cites him openly and unflappably describing his plastic surgery, something you really don't hear many celebrities doing. To this day, it's easy to imagine sitting across from him at a table in a pub, the kind that might have populated his working-class town growing up, just chatting without knowing that he has a net worth of about $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. 

With great fame and money comes great delusion — we all know this. At worst, we wind up with horrible tales of childhood fame in Hollywood, when someone never had the chance for a "real life," as we might say. That's the real world Jones is talking about in his quote, the one of his father's coal mining job in Wales and his own manual labor as a newlywed teen. 

This is just the first and most obvious layer of meaning to Jones' quote, however. What he really means is that he's grateful he had a chance to experience a Joe Schmoe life, even if only for a bit, because it allowed him to appreciate comfort and success. Anyone who's lived through hard times or who doesn't come from means, but who's constructed a stable life, ought to instantly understand what Jones means. An actor like Morgan Freeman, for instance, comes equipped with a well-known tale of not getting his breakout role until 49 years old, after working in the Air Force in the unexpected role of a radar technician. He's just one example of many.

Jones didn't work under the yoke for decades, but even only his relatively brief time amongst the masses bestowed an everlasting appreciation for what he has. Few people are as successful as him, or do exactly what they want with their lives and careers, but we can all take his message to heart: Don't take any good fortune for granted; don't bemoan the things you don't have; remain grateful for absolutely everything you do have.

• "I don't think it [music] has changed. It's still three chords and the truth."

• "First of all, I love singing. I mean, I get out of bed and I sing. I can't help it."

• "I'm a lyric man, I'm always looking for meaningful song."

• "I would have been a coal miner, I would think, if I hadn't had tuberculosis when I was 12."

• "As for the music business itself, the key things have not changed that much. It operates like any business and money still keeps things moving."

• "Time is my enemy. Time will catch up with me vocally. And I dread that. I dread to think about life without singing."