Aled Jones graces Ballina RSL with his long-awaited tour

FOR Welsh performer Aled Jones, a piece of advice from late Irish broadcasting legend Terry Wogan has stayed with him.

For Welsh performer Aled Jones, a piece of advice from late Irish broadcasting legend Terry Wogan has stayed with him.

“He always said to me, ‘spread yourself as thinly as possible because it makes it more difficult for people to get rid of you’,” Jones said with a laugh.

Blessed in his youth with an angelic voice but later forced to reconcile with its impermanence, Jones has built a career on versatility, transitioning from boy soprano to baritone, broadcaster and musical theatre performer.

“I do a bit of everything, and I love that,” he said.

His My Story, My Songs show traces that journey, with his upcoming Ballina RSL concert marking his eighth Australian tour.

After earlier visits focused on capital cities, Jones said his move into regional touring began as a joke.

“I was doing a concert many moons ago in the Sydney Opera House, and in a signing afterwards, an old lady poked me in the side and said, ‘I’ve travelled seven hours to see you,’ and being the big mouth that I am, I said, ‘Oh, I’ll come and see you next time’,” he said.

His manager took the comment seriously, leading to a regional tour that opened his eyes to a different side of Australia.

“It opened my eyes to a part of Australia that a lot of people from the UK don’t get to see,” he said.

“That’s really where Australia’s soul lives in those regional towns.”

Jones said Australians make up one of his strongest international audiences outside Wales.

“It’s a country that appreciates my voice… they seem to get the whole thing,” he said.

“The Welsh very much wear their hearts on their sleeves, and I think the Australians do as well,” he said.

Welsh heritage remains central to his identity.

“I speak Welsh, I sing in Welsh, and on nearly every album I’ve done there are Welsh songs,” he said.

“It’s something that I’m incredibly proud of.”

Jones said the show blends music, humour and personal storytelling, with archival footage and photos offering a candid look at his life.

“There’s not just singing, there’s loads of stories, clips, and photos. Some of them very embarrassing, and some of them a lot of fun,” he said.

“People will come away from this concert knowing everything about my life as a boy and as a man.”

The first half revisits his boy soprano years, including performances for royalty and moments alongside figures such as Leonard Bernstein, as well as appearances at high-profile events including Bob Geldof and Paula Yates’ wedding.

“I have photos in there ranging from me in the bath at age two, to forgetting my words in the Royal Variety in front of the Queen,” he said.

The second half shifts to his adult career and includes the musical number Choir Boy, reflecting on the moment his famous treble voice broke.

“It’s all about what happens when your voice breaks, when certain things drop and your income stops,” he said.

Looking back, Jones said his early rise to fame was surreal.

“I was a normal little kid from a comprehensive school and all of a sudden I was travelling around the world and singing for royalty and pop stars,” he said.

“It was mad in that respect.”

When his voice broke, he chose to step back from singing.

“I knew it was going to break… and when the time came, I made the decision to stop,” he said.

“I’ve always been someone who looks forward rather than back.”

Jones will perform his My Story, My Songs show at Ballina RSL on May 1.