You're about to listen to a BBC podcast, but this is about something else you might enjoy.

My name's Katie Lecky and I'm an assistant commissioner for on demand music on BBC Sounds.

The BBC has an incredible musical heritage and culture and as a music lover, I love being part of that.

With music on sounds, we offer collections and mixes for everything, from workouts to

helping you nod off, boogie in your kitchen, or even just a moment of calm. And they're all put

together by people who know their stuff. So if you want some expertly curated music in your life,

check out BBC Sounds. Hello, I'm Krista Young. Thank you for downloading this podcast of Desert Island Discs from BBC Radio 4.

For rights reasons, the music choices are shorter than in the radio broadcast.

For more information about the program, please visit BBC.co.uk slash radio four.

My castaway this week is Sir Tom Jones. His career has spanned more than 50 years so far,

and in that time he's shifted a remarkable 150 million albums. Growing up, he was known as Tom the Voice.

His talent for showmanship was evident from a young age too.

He used to get his mum to introduce him before he'd sing at home.

Later on, his friend, Elvis Presley, said he was one of the greatest performers he'd ever seen and the best singer he'd ever heard.

It was assumed he'd follow his father's footsteps and become a minor,

but he contracted TB when he was only 12, and doctors warned his parents against sending their

only son down the pit. They said his lungs were too weak. He says simply, I really love to sing.

It's like breathing for me. So Tom Jones, those lungs of yours,

I'm wondering what we might have heard if they'd been even healthier than they apparently are.

Well, maybe they were built up. Maybe I realized that I had to look after them.

Yeah. Or maybe that two years that I was in bed, it could have, because I couldn't sing for

two years. They told me not to sing. Yeah, and no exertion at all. No exertion. What about the showmanship?

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