In about 1967, I fell in love for the third time, no make that four (I forgot Steve McQueen). My object d’amour was international hit singer Tom Jones.   Remember him?  “It’s Not Unusual,”  “What’s new Pussy Cat?” and a myriad of other hit tunes.

I married my first husband because I thought he looked a bit like Tom Jones and had the right last name.  Seems I’d forgotten them both until today when I heard him singing “Pussy Cat” and the memories came flooding back.

The ruggedly good-looking singer’s on-stage gyrations would elicit screams (and sometimes undergarments) from the females in his audience. Then, somewhere toward the end of the last century, he disappeared off the radar screen.  Just now, I was listening to tunes from the 50s and 60s and his voice can still produce palpitations.

I  wondered what happened to him, so I googled him and learned that at age 66, Jones is still dealing with image problems. He may be older, but he’s far from an oldies act. That voice is apparently still strong.

“With me and other entertainers of my age, unless you’ve been selling records continuously, record companies in this country are frightened to take a chance with you,” Jones says.

So I’m on a campaign to bring back Tom Jones.   I always liked “rugged.”