Tommy Ward (singer)

Tommy Ward
Background information
Born (1995-09-19) September 19, 1995 (age 29)
Houston, Texas
GenresTraditional Pop, Jazz, Big Band
InstrumentVocals
Years active2013-present
LabelsLe Coq Records
Websitetommywardmusic.com

Tommy Ward (born September 19, 1995) is an American singer and musician.[1][2] He is a crooner and performs songs from the Great American Songbook.[1][3][4]

Biography

Tommy Ward was born in Houston, Texas.[4] He was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.[5] He attended Faith Lutheran Middle & High School.[6] He began performing in theatre and musicals at the age of 15.[1][4] Ward's early exposure to music was influenced by his grandfather who exposed him to big band, jazz, and singers like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.[1][4] He has been featured in shows with Clint Holmes, Michael Bublé, Matt Goss, Jeff Civillico, Mac King, and Vladimir Kush.[1][4][7]

Career

Tommy Ward began performing professionally at 16.[1][4] He graduated from Las Vegas Academy of the Arts where he met Frankie Moreno who was teaching a masterclass for up-and-coming songwriters.[1][2][8] In 2013, Moreno made Ward, and his band, the opening act for his headlining show at the Stratosphere.[1][2][7][8][9] He subsequently opened for Louie Anderson during his residency at the Plaza Hotel & Casino.[1][2][7][9]

In 2014, Larry Ruvo, a prominent business executive and the founder of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, introduced Ward to Quincy Jones.[10] This culminated in Ward signing a management deal with Quincy Jones Productions.[1][4][7][10][11] Jones has described Tommy Ward as "the epitome of great music" likening him to Frank Sinatra.[1][4][7]

In 2019, Tommy signed a record deal with Le Coq Records and released From This Moment On an EP featuring Bill Cunliffe, John Patitucci, and Marvin Smith.[3][12]

Ward and country singer Mark Winston Kirk recorded a cover and music video of Home by Michael Bublé, which was uploaded to Facebook on August 20th, 2020, and received 3 million views in the first 22 days.[13]

Discography

  • Forget Me Not (2019)
  • Merry Christmas (2019)
  • Home (2020)
  • It Had To Be You (2021)
  • From This Moment On (2021)
  • Don't Get Around Much Anymore (2023)

Television

In 2022, Ward was featured in the Peacock mini-series A Friend of the Family, produced by NBCUniversal. In Season 1, Episode 3 "The Gift of Tongues," Ward and his band played Barnyard Boogie by Louis Jordan and Unforgettable by Irving Gordon, popularized by Nat King Cole. The lead actors in the scene, Jake Lacy and Anna Paquin, perform a choreographed dance to Ward's music.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Moore, Jessica (2014-09-22). "Vegas teenage singer is a rising star with classic roots". KSNV MyNews3 Las Vegas. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  2. ^ a b c d Katsilometes, John (2013-08-10). "Young Strat fans are swayed by Tommy Ward". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  3. ^ a b Harris, George. "Tommy Ward: From This Moment On". www.jazzweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Baublitz, Steven (2019-08-27). "Tommy Ward to bring classy, jazzy style to 41st WV Italian Heritage Festival". WVNews West Virginia News. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  5. ^ Moore, Jessica (2014-09-22). "Vegas teenage singer is a rising star with classic roots". KTNV Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  6. ^ Yumpu.com. "January - Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School". yumpu.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  7. ^ a b c d e Katsilometes, John (2015-04-09). "Unique Vladimir Kush-Tommy Ward event to raise money, and awareness, for Lou Ruvo Center". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  8. ^ a b Hogan, Jan (2014-07-06). "18-year-old scores full-time gig in Frankie Moreno's band". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  9. ^ a b Katsilometes, John (2014-08-05). "Old Vegas crooning at Wynn/Encore; Old Vegas oratory from Oscar Goodman". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  10. ^ a b Clarke, Norm (2016-05-15). "Promising Las Vegas singer Tommy Ward won't forget mentor Larry Ruvo". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  11. ^ "Artists - Quincy Jones". 2015-12-30. Archived from the original on 2015-12-30. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  12. ^ Zimmerman, Brian (2021-09-06). "Fall 2021 JAZZIZ On Disc: Annotated Track List". Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  13. ^ Bennett, Scott (2021-02-25). "Mark Winston Kirk and Tommy Ward strike gold with their version of "HOME"!". KOKE FM. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  14. ^ "The Gift of Tongues." A Friend of the Family, Season 1, Episode 3, directed by Eliza Hittman, written by Lucy Teitler, first aired October 6, 2022, on Peacock TV.