aul Anka had written two #2 hits for himself over the course of his career, but his third time in the runner-up position was as a songwriter, giving Welsh singer Tom Jones his biggest career hit.

The performer who inspired women to throw their hotel keys onstage was born Thomas Jones Woodward on June 7, 1940. His father was a coal miner, and money was scarce around the Woodward home. As a teenager Tom Jones worked construction jobs, singing in pubs at night. In an uncharacteristic move for a singer perceived as a ladies man, Jones married at age 16 and remained with his wife throughout his career.

Debuting in the Billboard Top 40 on February 20, 1971, "She's A Lady" was Welsh singer Tom Jones' 15th U.S. top 40 hit, and his third top 5 single. It was the title track from his ninth studio album, She's A Lady, which first charted on May 22, 1971, peaking at #17 and remaining on the charts for 20 weeks. It was certified as a gold seller by the R.I.A.A. on January 12, 1972.

Tom's first chart single, "It's Not Unusual," climbed into the Top 10 and set the pattern for future hits: outside songwriters, upbeat arrangements, and his distinctive voice. In the liner notes to his anthology, The Complete Tom Jones, he explained his vocal style was a result of his heritage: "If you don't have a timbre to your voice then the Welsh won't listen. If a lot of today's singers had been born in Wales they wouldn't dare get on stage or even see the lights of day." When his third hit, "What's New Pussycat?," rose to #3, it was obvious that Tom was no fluke, and accordingly he earned the Best New Artist Grammy in 1965.

But as often happens the initial promise soon faded. Tom's hits stopped reaching the Top 10, and after four years of mediocre sales Tom turned to a different media: television. On February 7, 1969, his variety series This Is Tom Jones debuted, and through this weekly exposure he rebuilt his career. His first hit since the show's debut, "Love Me Tonight," reached #13, his biggest hit in more than two years. His next, a re-release of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," returned him to the Top 10, peaking at #6. For the next two years, Tom maintained a healthy chart career again.

Ironically, though, his biggest hit came right after his series ended. "She's A Lady" built on the following Jones had established playing Las Vegas. Written by former teen idol Paul Anka and produced by Gordon Mills, the man who had discovered Jones, "She's A Lady" looked to be a smash. Entering the charts at #60 the song took only seven weeks to reach the #2 position. It was also one of the songs that prompted women to throw their panties onstage while Tom was in concert. When asked about his sex appeal, even as he moved into middle age, Tom merely noted, "You can have more when you're older because you understand about life. If I do anything a little bit cheeky, it's tongue-in-cheek, but there's always been a sexual thing with me."

When Gordon Mills died, Tom's son Mark Woodward took over his management, and Jones elected to return to recording. His continued credibility was emphasized when he reached #2 again in 1987 with "The Boy From Nowhere," and the following year he collaborated with the Art of Noise on a kitsch version of Prince's "Kiss." At the end of the following decade, Jones asserted his remarkable durability when an album of duets and collaborations recorded with a host of contemporary artists, Reloaded, topped the UK charts.

- Christopher G. Feldman, The Billboard Book of No. 2 Singles, Billboard, 2000.

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