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THIS IS Tom...Growing Old?

One of my earliest live concert experiences was unforgettable: at an iconic venue, watching the epitome of cool pour his heart (and sweat) into every note. OK, the fact that my parents took me may not be very cool. Also the fact that it was one of my parent’s artists, not cool. I was 12 years old so I wasn’t going to argue because we were seeing Tom Jones!  The year was 1975. The venue was The Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, CA. Just last month (October 2024) 50 years later, I had the pleasure, once again, of seeing SIR Tom Jones perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA. This got me thinking about Tom Jones, his staying power and how special he has been to me throughout my life.

I Heard it In The Womb

Source: via City of Minneapolis Archives / Flickr I didn't have a choice regarding Tom Jones. His music was part of my childhood. My mother was a big fan of his. All the mothers in my neighborhood were fans.  In the late 60’s, early 70’s, Tom had the housewife market locked up, All the moms were stay-at-home and listened to the same radio station. There were days when Tom Jones could be heard coming through the open windows up and down the block. Besides digging his music, hearing his voice reminds me of my mother and that’s really great.  I remember watching his short-lived TV variety show. “Ladies and Gentlemen….THIS is Tom Jones!” . He was so dynamic and exciting. A Tom Jones performance must be so exciting to see in person. Luckily for me, my parents were music fans.  They had a good collection of records and attended live shows every now and then. They had, of course, seen Tom Jones already a few times so when they saw that he was coming back to town, they made plans to see him again. 

I’m Going

I am not sure how I ended up going with them. Did they invite me? Did I ask to go? Did I beg to go? Did I bug the hell out of them so they took me? Any of these are possible. Whatever it was, the three of us plus my sister and her boyfriend, hopped into the family Granada and headed down Highway 101 toward San Carlos and the magic that was The Circle Star Theater.

The Circle Star Theater was a one-of-a-kind venue. It opened in 1964 in the sleepy peninsula town of San Carlos.  Surprisingly, the venue was backed by big Hollywood types, including Sammy Davis Jr., Debbie Reynolds and others. It was located 25 miles south of San Francisco. The name refers to the stage which was a circle and rotated. Capacity was 3,700 and no seat was further than 50 feet from the stage. In 1971, the stage became rotating. It would take 8 minutes for the stage to make a complete circle. The performers would enter by walking down the “Star Aisle” from the back of the venue to the stage. I once saw Chuck Berry there (another great story). He stood behind the mic and stated, "I guess I have to start playing for this stage to start turning, so here goes!" It was quite an impressive place and, for a time, attracted the biggest stars, including  Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., The Jackson 5 and Cheech and Chong. I, personally, attended a good number of shows there until it tragically closed in 1993.

Circle Star-Struck

Needless to say, I was sufficiently blown away by the whole situation at the Circle Star. I was beside myself to see Tom Jones run down that “Star Aisle” and take the stage in all his hairy-chest glory. In 1975, Tom was 35 years old, in fantastic shape. It was Tom’s 10th year in show business. 

His vocals were still full-throated baritone. His head of hair had big 70's volume, his attire was a silk shirt, unbuttoned, big crucifix hanging around his neck and black slacks. The pants seemed to have a full salami stuffed in them. I soaked up everything. His performance, his look, his moves, the Circle Star: all left a lasting impression on me. 

Call It "TJ Confidence"

A little secret I am revealing here: As a teen, I used to listen to Tom Jones music as I prepared to go to a dance or on a date. I was hoping that some of his swag and coolness would wear off on me. Looking back on it, the ritual was a confidence builder. It worked.  Watching Tom Jones helped me figure out how to move on a dance floor. I was never mistaken for a good dancer but I successfully blended into the crowd. Listening to my parent’s “Live in Las Vegas” album and it’s infectious energy always helped me awaken my Joe Cool mojo. 

That Voice Stayed

My Tom Jones fandom has continued on until this day. I spent my adolescence making my way through popular music and, definitely, making my own choices. Whether my latest obsession was Huey Lewis and the News or Metallica, I always tried to keep tabs on Sir Tom. He would fall in and out of favor over the years but he continued to work. In the 90’s, however, he had a big resurgence based on the popular TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and it's character, Carlton. Tom continued to make music and some songs actually charted. His voice, THAT voice never, ever faltered. This is the true appeal of Tom Jones. Yes, the ladies love his sex appeal and all the guys want to be cool like him but it’s his voice that has stood the test of time. 

Sir Tom

Fast forward to today, Tom is now called Sir Tom after being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 at Buckingham Palace for his services to music. Tom has also had a resurgence due to his judgeship on the UK’s version of the TV show “The Voice”. He has been back in the studio and produced a few serious chart contenders. He has appeared ageless save for the full head of silver hair. His voice has survived the years. Can he still hit those full-throated baritone notes? Most would say he ‘almost’ gets them. Tom Jones’ ‘almost’ is better than most singers.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofQcvPezclk Tom’s “Surrounded By Time” Tour made a stop at the Fox Theater in Oakland this year. I was very happy to attend. Tom is 84 years old. He has, understandably, slowed down.  His signature stage movements are mere suggestions now. Both hips have been replaced and he has to sit down a few times over a 90 minute show. His show is a good mix of the big hits and poignant newer songs that are more appropriate for a man of Tom’s age.  In fact, the show starts off quietly with a song from his “Surrounded By Time” album called “I’m Growing Old”. Tom sits on a stool and laments about aging, looking old and feeble. What a fake-out that was! He may be growing old but he is not withering away.

He IS Growing Old

Tom Jones is the VOICE and that voice shows no sign of growing old. After that opening number set the tone, Jones spent the rest of the night proving it wrong. He wasn’t moving like he did in 1975 but he sure was hitting all the notes. An amazing 49 years later, I am still amazed and entertained by the same man. Tom and his young, energetic band ripped through the greatest hits, playing them in a stripped down way. There was no orchestra, just a small group of musicians who could recreate the magic. Even on those classics from the 60s. The stripped down versions of “Delilah” and “What’s New Pussy Cat” sounded as fresh as the day they were released.  There is still the glimmer of a sex symbol even at his advanced age. Ceremonial panties were thrown on the stage. Ladies of all ages were swooning at an 84 yr old man. For Tom, it’s business as usual. He knows exactly how to act and exactly what to say. Lately Tom has been talking about his relationship with Elvis. The two were apparently good friends during Elvis’ Vegas years. I can only imagine!! Seeing Tom STILL killing it at his age only makes me think of what Elvis would be doing these days. I’d like to think he has grown old gracefully with his voice still intact. Just like Tom Jones has done.  Read the full article

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This Genius Skunk Can Really Play

Don’t ask guitarist/producer Jeff Baxter how he got his nickname, ‘Skunk’. He won’t ever tell you. It's not that he doesn't like the name, he just doesn’t want to tell. It’s his secret to keep and he can definitely keep a secret just ask the US Navy One day, roughly 45 years ago, I was looking at the back of The Best of the Doobies album. Definitely one of the stellar greatest hits collections in American pop music history. On the back of the album is a typical group picture. It’s the 1976 version of the Doobies and one of the members stuck out to my wise-ass teenage mind. I kidded my sister’s boyfriend, Gary, about the guy at the left end of the picture, with the snakeskin cowboy boots. “What kind of boots are THOSE?” “And those tight pants?” “This guy looks like a freak,” my inexperience on full display. 

Gary tells me, “If you are as badass as Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, you can wear whatever you want.” I was a Doobie Brothers fan at the time, everyone was. But I was unaware of Jeff Baxter and his history. In 1976 it was rare to see a rock band on TV so I hadn't caught him in action yet.

Seated?

I did eventually catch the Doobies on TV and noticed Baxter because he performed while seated on a stool. He had headphones and dark sunglasses on. His long hair and walrus mustache flowed as he jammed flawlessly. He was uniquely cool. It is said that Jim Henson, of Muppet fame, designed a rocker puppet based on Jeff’s look to play along with Animal! The Muppet's name is Floyd. I was unaware that I had already heard Jeff Baxter's guitar work many times on the radio. Baxter was a founding member of Steely Dan. Now it was all making sense. Again it was Gary who turned me on to a song called “Peg” by Steely Dan. My rock and roll heart wasn’t ready for Steely Dan at that time. It was years later that my appreciation came for these masters.  Baxter’s stint in Steely Dan ended up being very advantageous for the Doobie Brothers. It was through Steely Dan that Baxter met a singer/keyboard player named Michael McDonald. Baxter recommended McDonald to the Doobies when leader Tom Johnston left the group.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpaIfCY79gc One of the most memorable Doobie TV performances around this time  is from Soundstage

Musical Success

The addition of McDonald to the Doobie Brothers brought a string of hit records and a new sound. Thanks to Baxter’s recommendation, the band had new life! Baxter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of the Doobies. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s music career is considered a smashing success!  At 75 years old, he can look back and see evidence of his greatness all over music. As a bandmate, a session player or producer, Baxter did it all! However his music career is NOT the story I want to tell. 

The fascinating story of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is his life OUTSIDE of the music business. The impetus for this post is my discovery of Baxter’s first solo album Speed of Heat, released in 2022 (it is extraordinary, by the way). This spurred me to, once and for all, get to the bottom of Baxter’s “day jobs”.  Actually he has multiple day jobs as a consultant on ballistic missiles systems and counterterrorism among other ‘secret agent’ duties. This fact has confused me ever since I heard it mentioned years ago.  Once I learned about Baxter’s early life and achievements, it became apparent, almost destined, that he would become much more than a rock star. From starting classical piano lessons at five to learning Spanish at age 9, after his family moved to Mexico City, the young Baxter was a prodigy. This is about the time a young ‘skunk’ first picked up a guitar.  Baxter was and continues to be an eager lifelong student with an insatiable appetite for learning. 

The Birth Of A Genius

When he was just 10 years old, he was playing in a little Mexican rock and roll combo. It was 1958, rock and roll was in it’s infancy but the young Baxter was absorbing all the music. He was especially fond of surf-rock pioneers, The Ventures. (Baxter’s amazing life came full circle when he produced a Ventures record). His love of the guitar and natural curiosity caused him, like many guitar-heads, to take apart his guitar and learn how it worked. This helped him later in his teens when he began working part-time in Manhattan for legendary guitar maker Dan Armstrong.

The Birth Of A Musician

The young, brilliant Jeff Baxter turned to music full time after he spent a year in New England at the University’s School of Communication. He joined a psychedelic folk-rock band Ultimate Spinach in 1968. Two years later his guitar playing was featured on a recording by Tim Buckley and Linda Hoover that recently resurfaced. This song was written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. These two future Steely Dan founders were impressed with Baxter’s guitar chops. After a move to Los Angeles, Steely Dan was born with Baxter onboard on guitar. That debut album “Can’t Buy a Thrill” drew a lot of attention. Scoring Baxter many, many jobs as a studio musician. In 1974, he left Steely Dan for the Doobies where he remained until 1979.

Finally...the story

Somewhere around this time is when our story takes a severe turn. Baxter was helping a neighbor in Los Angeles dig out from a mudslide. This neighbor was a retired engineer who helped design the Sidewinder missile for the US Navy. As a thank you for his mudslinging, this neighbor gifted Baxter subscriptions to Aviation Week and Janes Defense. Baxter took to these publications and found his interests pointing to missile defense systems. This began a deep-dive that lasted years and resulted in Baxter writing a paper proposing a conversion of the military’s Aegis plane defense program. How does a musician, no matter how brilliant, go from playing and producing music to designing a missile defense system?

CDs and Defense Missiles

It was the early 1980s and the music industry was changing from analog to digital! A producer with the curiosity of “Skunk” would have learned all he could about digital compression and how to manipulate it. His deep-dive into the new technology opened up a new world and stimulated him to imagine applying the technology to other scenarios. He married this knowledge with what he was studying in defense missile systems and the result was a technical paper. Baxter shared the paper with a California congressman friend of his, Dana Rohrabacher, who shared it with the chair of the House Military Research and Development Subcommittee. This must have made an impact because in 1995 Baxter was nominated to chair the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense.

Many Jobs

The rocker who sits and plays beautifully, whose likeness is borrowed by a Muppet, is indeed working for the government and he CANNOT discuss any of it with you. This was only the beginning for ‘Secret Agent” Skunk. The government then asked Baxter to lead enemy forces in war game simulations. When pressed, Baxter will reveal his other affiliations over the years.  He is a consultant for the Global Security Sector of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a member of the Director’s Strategic Red Team at MIT Lincoln Laboratories and a Senior Thinker for the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. He is also the chairman of the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense for the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

Rebecca Sapp  Getty Images for The Recording Academy

More Jobs

In between guitar solos, Hall of Fame Inductions and winning 2 Grammys, Baxter has worked as a consultant for Northrop-Grumman, Science Applications International Corporation, Ball Aerospace, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Photon Research, General Dynamics Information Technologies, and other companies. He is also under contract with the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense among others.  Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is a man of multiple talents. To the general public, he is more famous for his musical prowess than for his civic duty. To those in the National Defense realm, he is an invaluable American asset. It’s hard to decide which one benefits humanity more. One thing is for sure, we can hear and see the evidence of his musicality all over the airwaves. What he does in the dark corners of our military establishments is none of our business.  Read the full article

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