TOM HOME TO THE VALLEYS Singing legend wants Wales r eturn after 40yrs
SIR Tom Jones is considering returning to the Green Green Grass Of Home after five decades as a tax exile.
The legendary singer left his native Wales when the Government hiked taxes for high-earners to over 90 per cent.
But he feels in his heart that he “never really left”. He said yesterday: “It’s early days yet. I’m still trying to decide to be honest with you, but the reason that I went was because of the Government situation at that time. I couldn’t really come back for tax reasons.
“I didn’t like that. I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t. I have been coming back ever since. I love coming back to Britain, because I am British.”
Sir Tom, 77, admits that he was advised by accountants to leave the UK during the 1970s to save himself cash.
That prompted him and wife Linda to stay in the US. Sir Tom said: “It was 1974 when things changed and I was doing a lot of shows in America.
“My accountant advised me, ‘I wouldn’t come back at the moment if I were you – you’re doing all these shows, why don’t you just think about it?’”
He took the advice but in 2009 announced he and Linda would be returning. It never happened and Linda died of cancer last year.
Sir Tom says he has always retained his links to his home town of Pontypridd and kept in touch with his family.
He is also returning for the next series of The Voice - the second on ITV after its move from the BBC. Olly Murs has joined the judging line- up with will.i.am and Jennifer Hudson.
And Sir Tom likes the new dynamic. He added: “T This his series feels more relaxed and we’re encouraged to be more friendly with one another. With the old show, they hey wanted friction and competing against one another, which is not my style. I’m not like that and neither were any of them.”