Tom Jones has been in the spotlight his entire adult life. He formed his first band when he was 23 and went on to become one of the finest musicians ever. He endured it all while married to his devoted wife Linda for for 60 years, until her terrible death in 2016.
After the Covid-19 epidemic, the 82-year-old is currently back on the road. However, Jones has faced his own share of health-related difficulties in recent years.
In fact, the renowned crooner had to postpone a performance in Budapest just a few days prior due to suspicions that he had passed out. Jones has decided to finally clear up any misunderstandings about his health by going public with what transpired.
Tom Jones began his profession as an entertainer very early on. Jones, who was given the name Thomas John Woodward on June 7, 1940, was raised in the Welsh town of Pontypridd.
He has always enjoyed singing and has frequently done so at family get-togethers, in the school choir, as well as at weddings and the meetings of his mother Freda’s Women’s Guild.
Tom struggled at school because of his dyslexia, which was identified when he was a young child. He particularly enjoyed listening to American blues, R&B, and rock on the radio.
When he was 12 years old, he was dealt another blow when he was told he had tuberculosis and had to spend the next two years in quarantine.
“I was confined to the house for two years; I was unable to go,” he claimed. “I couldn’t leave bed for the first year. The bathroom was out in the garden.
I was in the backroom on the middle floor of our three-story house since it was where I could be alone.
Fortunately, Tom survived, and not long after that, he moved on with his life. He dropped out of school at age 16 and quickly became a father. He started to get more and more fascinated in the fresh rock ‘n’ roll sounds on the radio at about the same time. Additionally, he developed feelings for Linda.
Jones spoke to Radio 2 and recalled the first time he saw her.
My God, what great legs she has, I thought as I watched her play marbles. We dated because she was the most attractive female there. He declared, “It was magic.
Tom wed Linda when he was barely 17 years old. Their son Mark was born just one month later.
Although they had a long and loving marriage, there were some disagreements. Tom had a relationship with The Supremes singer Mary Wilson in 1968.
Tom said that despite the affair, he, Mary, and his wife become close friendships while speaking with the Mirror, as reported by Express.
Furthermore, he said that Mary was a “family friend” of Linda’s from the moment they first met until Linda’s death.
“I must say, back in the 1960s, we did get close. I am unable to dispute that, Tom remarked. “But because I was still happily married, she got to meet my wife. Honestly. And thus they grew close.
At the age of 23, Tom made the decision to quit the local band Tommy Scott and the Senators in an effort to launch a solo career. But first, his new agent in London, Gordon Mills, urged him to make a big adjustment. Gordon stated that Thomas Woodward needed to change his stage name because he didn’t think it was the most elegant.
Tom Jones was the name Mills offered since it sounded “very Welsh and laddish.”
After starting to record demos, Tom quickly grew weary of the endeavor. At that point, Mills gave Tom a song he had composed on his own. The song “It’s Not Unusual”.
Initially, Mills had planned for a young soprano named Sandie Shaw to record it.
However, Tom recorded a demo of the song, and it became clear that he could make it work in spite of his manager’s plans.
God bless Sandie Shaw for hearing the demo and stating, “Whoever is singing this song, it’s his song,” Tom stated.
“I started working on It’s Not Unusual on November 11, 1964. It was finished on January 22, 1965, and by March 1, St. David’s Day, it had reached the top spot. Tremendous!”
After It’s Not Unusual became a major hit, Jones turned his attention to the US. Due to the song’s enormous success, Tom was given the opportunity to appear on the illustrious Ed Sullivan Show. The song also went on to become a top 10 hit in the United States.
Tom continued to release songs, and he soon became a superstar. He may have been at his best in the second half of the 1960s, when he released singles like Once Upon a Time, Green, Green Grass of Home, I’m Coming Home, Delilah, and Help Yourself.
At the storied hotel The Flamingo, Tom gave his first Las Vegas performance in 1967. He became a US superstar during his time in Vegas, and his time there also allowed him to meet and become friends with Elvis Presley, another frequent visitor.
Tom began hosting his own television program in the 1970s, and he has remained well-known to this day. At the time of writing, he was 82, but his career hasn’t slowed down in the least. Tom made sure he never left the spotlight with to singles like She’s a Lady and many others.
Instead, he has succeeded as one of the great music icons, earning Grammy Awards, Brit Awards, and countless other honors for his exceptional musical achievements. Jones received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth in 2016 for his contributions to music. He set a record for the oldest person to ever top the UK album chart in May 2021 with his most recent album, Surrounded By Time.
As previously indicated, Tom had his first child while he was a teenager. In 1957, he wed Linda Trenchard, and the two of them were together for a very long time. Sadly, Linda’s passing in 2016 after a “short but fierce” battle with lung cancer meant that Sir Tom had to bid goodbye to his cherished life partner.
Tom revealed the awful circumstances surrounding her passing in an appearance with This Morning, adamant that he would “never love again.”
Simply put, he was devastated by the loss of his wife and found it difficult to continue performing on stage after Linda passed away.
Tom said, “When my wife died, I didn’t think I could sing. “Your voice locks up and you can’t sing when you’re upset.
“There are some songs that I wouldn’t perform. However, you must make an effort to view things objectively. Use your emotion to your advantage and incorporate it into the music.
It took me some time,” he added. “It took me a while to see if I could sing. I tried a few tunes with some of my musicians when I had them over. However, it was really sentimental.
Jones chose to sell the large mansion they shared in Los Angeles, along with all of their possessions, and relocate back to the UK as a result of Linda’s passing.
He currently resides in a London apartment, as Linda reportedly requested. According to reports, his late wife had been feeling lonely and wanted to return to her hometown, but cancer snatched her life before she could.
Linda and Tom were married for over 60 years. “She always stated she wanted to come back but then she could not do it, so then she told me to do it in the final week she was alive,” Tom recalled.
Tom has reportedly struggled with back issues for a number of years. But even at 82 years old, the iconic singer works hard to stay in shape. We must admit that he appears incredibly young for his age!
On that point, Jones has disclosed that he practices a peculiar form of self-care that many people would likely deem to be very odd.
In an interview with the Mirror, Jones described the “inversion therapy” method he used. He hangs upside down, and it is claimed to improve blood flow. Additionally, it’s thought that changing the body’s gravity will relieve pressure on the spine and back.
Those with scoliosis, persistent lower back discomfort, and poor circulation can gain from this particular kind of therapy.
Tom Jones stated, “I’ll be 90 years old in 2030.” “I hang backwards. On one of those frames, you know. The best. You insert your feet inside the device, flip, and hang.
In addition, Jones has considerably reduced his alcohol use and now just infrequently takes a glass of wine or beer. The difference, in the man’s own words, is beginning to emerge.
“I have a trainer that visits me. mixed in with a ton of stretching and boxing. It gives your heart a nice exercise, he explained.
“Only wine with supper, with the occasional pint of beer. I also try to keep an eye on my diet.
He said, “I’ve got a 12-pack.” But that’s a lot of luck, and health is incredibly vital. You need to look for yourself.
Tom is currently performing again on his European tour. But a few days ago, things got worse when he was forced to postpone a gig.
Tom wasn’t sure whether he’d ever sing again after his wife passed away in 2016. However, his love for music prevailed, and fortunately, audiences throughout the world and in Europe will be able to see him perform once more.
His most recent performance during his European tour was scheduled to take place in Budapest. But Tom called off the performance an hour before he was scheduled to take the stage. The vocalist of It’s Not Unusual allegedly “collapsed,” and physicians were summoned to the stadium, according to rumors.
Fans naturally worried that Tom was having serious health problems. Fortunately, it wasn’t the case. Tom Jones announced on his Instagram page that he had been diagnosed with viral laryngitis. Additionally, he refuted reports that he had passed out.
“Hello to everyone involved. I flew over night from the UK to Budapest, and this morning I woke up with a sore throat,” said Jones.
“A expert visited and gave the diagnosis of “viral laryngitis.” He strongly suggested delaying tonight’s performance and provided medicine as well as vocal rest. This is untrue; I never “collapsed” anywhere or at any time. I am eager to continue my beautiful summer tour, so I’m hoping the inflammation will subside soon.
The Budapest event has been rescheduled and will now take place on August 16, Tom said, adding that he was “extremely sorry” for canceling the show at the last minute.
Jones concluded his remarks by saying, “Thanks once more for all your kind care.”
