Tom Jones -Vancouver - October 1981 -

One big reason I am on social media is that I like to chronicle the trends. I know there is a huge cloud in the sky that has who was born on the date of the day. So you will see in Twitter/X or Facebook, “Tom Jones was born today June 7. What is your favourite song of his”. These people then put a picture of the person (preferably in their 80s or 90s) and you can barely recognize them. This is seen as content with no real personal contribution. Another favourite is to put a picture of a beautiful young actress next to one in her 80s.

I will add here my small personal contribution that I believe is genuine content even if it is not my best.

When Rosemary, our two young daughters and I, were living in Mexico City in the Arboledas neighbourhood we had a neighbour, Felipe Ferrer Junco (he eventually became the chief of the federal police in Acapulco) who said he looked like Tom Jones. He would loudly sing It’s Not Unusual.

Felipe Ferrer Junco in Acapulco

 

We moved to Vancouver in 1975 and by 1977 I was working as a freelancer for Vancouver Magazine. Les Wiseman, who wrote a column called In One Ear, became my mentor for a musical education I lacked in what was then called popular music. In October 1981 he interviewed Jones and I photographed him. Why do I know the close date? Because I shot 35mm Kodachromes and in those days Kodak (it was processed in Vancouver) would stamp the date on all the mounted slides.

I was awfully green and it never occurred to me to get really close and just do his face. I used that easy to use but flat flash lighting with an umbrella. I was learning my ropes. I certainly failed.

I can claim one important piece of information. I got the nerve to ask him, “Sir I have been told that you wear socks.” He smiled at me and just after a quick glance of his crotch he said to me, “No I don’t.”