Photo: Wenn
Sir Tom Jones strolls down the red carpet at The Music Industry Trust Awards, dressed for dinner and looking as dapper as ever ahead of the event held at the decadent Grosvenor Hotel in Park Lane.
Give that he's just finished touring, it's unknown what his future plans are as a musician. "I'm searching for the next project," he says in his deep Welsh accent. Does the singer have any musicians in mind?
"Yes a few. I can't say it yet but I've got a few irons in the fire," He says indicating that he's busy behind the scenes and may have something unique coming. He's tight lipped but a glint in his eye suggests he's love to share it. His publicist looks on anxiously hoping nothing slips.
Sir Tom Jones is here to honour his friend Roger Daltrey of The Who who's being presented with a 2016 MITS Award in recognition of his contribution to music and charities. He's a longstanding patron of Teenage Cancer Trust and started the Teenage Cancer Trust's Royal Albert Hall concerts which is a huge earner for the charity.
Tom Jones recently lost his wife to cancer and is highly supportive of Daltrey's efforts.
"The charity work that he does is tremendous. There's so many deserving charities that we entertainers need to support. The more money we can generate the better off everybody will. But cancer is a traumatic thing and I try to support as many cancer charities as I can."
Meanwhile, Roger Daltrey is planning a concert with The Who for the next TCT gig where he'll play two nights of the remarkable Tommy album acoustically. Daltrey tells Gigwise: “Well, we’re going to try it acoustically, but it might not work. On the poster it doesn't say acoustic. I’ve only committed to it verbally but we might change our fucking minds! If it needs electric we’ll put it in, but it’ll have a lot more light and shade in it than anything we’ve ever done.”
Daltrey also helped kickstart the Nordoff Robbins charity which is one of two that the MITS support, the other being the BRIT Trust which support to BRIT school in Croydon that's played a vital role in nurturing the likes of Adele and Amy Winehousse. They've raised over £5.5 million since they began 25 years ago.
The evening did a remarkable job of auctioning off prizes to generate money from wealthy audience members and provided a glamorous seated dinner. Entertainers on the stage included Tom Chaplin who did a phenomenal job of keeping hundreds of people sat by champagne bottles quiet and attentive.
But the big draw of the evening was a secret performance by Roger Daltrey with Willko Johnson on guitar. They brought the swinging '60s to West London for one night only and had people hurrying off their seats to get as close as possible to the mesmerising R&B on stage. Daltrey was on top form swinging his microphone around and nailing every turn of phrase with youthful exuberance that defies his years. The band was completed by a brilliant electric harmonica player, a drummer and bassist.
