‘ Jam for Jonesy’ in memory of Tom
Fundraiser to help with funeral costs
There can’t be too many people who attend funerals as part of their nine to five.
Obviously, there are the undertakers, cemetery or crematorium staff - and the various denominations of clergy of course.
But depending on the fame – or infamy – of the deceased . . . reporting on a funeral is all in a day’s work for many journalists.
And without wishing to make too much light of a very serious subject – I’ve been to more memorial services than I care to remember.
The biggest would have to be September 6 1997 when Princess Diana’s funeral brought London if not the whole country - to a standstill.
It was a day when grief almost took on some kind of physical form as it rolled down the nave of Westminster Abbey, burst through the Great West Door and spilled out onto the streets. I swear you could put your hand out and touch the nation’s sorrow.
The most unusual was at a cemetery in Queens, New York in November 2001.
In the aftermath of the Twin Towers tragedy, the Scots Guards offered the services of their pipers to attend the funerals of firefighters and police officers who had lost their lives. The pipers never knew the victims – but their music brought untold comfort to hundreds of families. It was a humbling experience.
And closer to home, one of the most touching was in 2004 when Ayr and Scotland said farewell to football legend Ally MacLeod at St Columba’s Church on a cold, February Friday afternoon. I can’t remember a single word of grieving wife Faye’s poem to her beloved husband.
But I remember every second of her reading it.
Actor Oliver Reed’s burial in a pauper’s grave in Ireland, the emotional send off given to Ayrshire rugby legend Gordon Brown in Troon, footballer Jim Baxter, comedian Rikki Fulton and accordion legend Jimmy Shand are just some of the funerals in my memorial notebook.
Last week – I sadly added the name Tom Jones to the list. But this wasn’t a professional visit . . . this was a personal one. Tom wasn’t famous or even a celebrity – but his personality was unrivalled.
I first met him properly back in the 70s when the Ayrshire Post, Tom’s Powerhouse and Colin Thorn’s record store, Speed Records, combined to send a bus to Knebworth to see Led Zeppelin.
We met for a “business lunch”. Jonsey pitched up in cords and a checked shirt. Colin, hair down to his shoulder blades, looked like he’d been sprayed in denim. Junior reporter Shields shuffled in with shirt, tie, flannels and sports jacket.
I think I had a half pint shandy – Tom and Colin ordered bottles of wine . . .
I had to be back in the office for 2pm – Tom and Colin just took the rest of the day off .
I left thinking Tom Jones had the world at his feet. And he probably did. Fast forward forty plus years – and I’m three rows from the door at Ayr’s Crematorium.
The man I was there to honour died without a partner, without a child, alone in a flat and virtually penniless.
But friends? Tom was blessed with hundreds of them – too many for even the crematorium to contain.
At the start of the service, my thoughts were “what a wasted life”. But by the end, with the room clapping along to his sign- off tune, “Nellie the Elephant”, Jonesy had changed my mind.
No- one who leaves so many friends with so many memories can have wasted their life.
The truly sad part of last Friday was the realisation that if Tom had looked after himself the way he looked after others . . . there would have been new friends and new memories for years to come.
* It has now become evident that Tom Jones’ sudden death placed unforeseen financial burdens on his family.
With this in mind, it’s my intention to invite Tom’s many musician friends to a “Jam for Jonesy” night at the Twa Dugs in Ayr.
Everyone will be welcome to “pitch up . . . plug in . . . and play.”
And all the donations and bar profits will help with the cost of Tom’s funeral.
This column will also be pleased to support any similar fund raising events - and any future annual event that will allow everyone to remember Tom’s huge contribution to music in Ayrshire.
If you are interested in taking part or making a donation – contact me at recordshields@ aol. com
Tom wasn’t famous or even a celebrity – but his personality was unrivalled