My reclusive wife has lost her spark, says Sir Tom
FOr half a century she has endured living in the limelight of her superstar husband’s career – and his numerous affairs.
So perhaps it is no surprise that, according to Sir Tom Jones, his wife Linda has ‘lost her spark’.
The Welsh singer, 75, insisted that their 58-year marriage remains ‘solid’.
But, speaking ahead of the release of his autobiography this week, he admitted that while he loved the spotlight Linda, also 75, had always preferred being at home and has become increasingly reclusive in recent years.
his book reveals that at their Los Angeles home Linda has retreated into herself, smoking heavily and doing so away from others to avoid filling their living rooms with cigarette fumes.
She has developed emphysema, has had cancer scares, and has become increasingly immobile, prompting Sir Tom to install a stair-lift in their home.
‘I’ve realised she’s had a depression since she was young,’ he told the Sunday Times Magazine. ‘She’s always had a touch of it.’
he added: ‘I don’t think she really enjoyed getting out and about, and I think she was happy with being in the house.’
Despite his frequent infidelity during their marriage, Sir Tom said Linda had snapped on only one occasion, after discovering his affair with former Miss World Marjorie Wallace in 1976.
he said: ‘I stood there and took it. She chinned me. When she let fly, Dai [his then minder] just left. I said, “Go ahead”. She punched and shouted.’
Sir Tom said that these days, while he takes pride in his appearance and buys expensive clothing, Linda has aged from the beauty she once was. ‘Linda is the love of my life, and she still is, even though she doesn’t look like she did. I don’t look like I did either, but I try my best. She’s lost her spark.’
But he said that when phoning each other they have the chemistry they had as youngsters. The couple married at 16, and Sir Tom said he has loved Linda since the age of 12.
he said: ‘When you’re face to face with somebody, you realise that time has gone on, but when you’re on the phone we’re both young again. We haven’t aged on the phone. You’re not looking at one another, I’m looking at an old picture I carry around with me and leave by the bed. She says, “I don’t look like that any more”.
‘I say, “I know you don’t, it brings back wonderful memories”.
‘When we are on the phone, the whole thing, the depression, leaves her when we talk ... She is an unbel i evable woman. She’s the most important thing in my life. All the rest is just fun and games.’
Sir Tom’s book, Over The Top And Back: The Autobiography, is released on Thursday.