Tom’s bid for green grass of homeland
Sir Tom Jones wants to return to his beloved Welsh homeland – after spending five decades living away as a tax exile.
The singing legend left his native Wales for America in 1974 when the Government hiked up taxes for the high earners to over 90 per cent.
But yesterday the 77-yearold admitted that his heart had “never really left” his homeland.
He said: “It’s early days yet. I’m still trying to decide, but the reason I went was because of the government situation at that time. I couldn’t really come back for tax reasons.
“It was 1974 and I was doing a lot of shows in America. My accountant said, ‘I wouldn’t come back at the moment if I were you’.
“I didn’t like that. But then when things changed, of course I came back after 10 years away and I have been coming back ever since. I love coming back to Britain.”
In 2009 he announced that he and his late wife Linda were returning to the UK but it never happened.
He kept in touch with his family and regularly hosted cousins at his US homes and retained his links to his home town.
He is also making a welcome return to The Voice, which has moved to ITV from BBC1. He reckons the audience will enjoy the new dynamic.
He said: “Th is series feels more relaxed to me and we’re encouraged, and rightly so, to be more friendly with one another.”