Her, that the songs would to, she made me promise
His wife of 59 years has helped him face up to her death and carry on with life Sir Tom Jones remembers his inspirational wife
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Jones also revealed that after Linda passed away, he sought professional help to carry out her dying wish. He said: “I went to see a therapist and said: ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to sing again’. She asked me what did I think was the most difficult song for me to do?
“It told her it was a Bob Dylan song called What Good Am I? – recorded on my album, Praise And Blame in 2010.
“It’s about a man standing by and letting things happen that maybe he could change. I suddenly thought, ‘Did I let this happen? Could I have changed anything?
“She said: ‘ Well, that’s the first one you’ve got to try’. So I got some of my musicians together and said: ‘I’ve got to sing this song’.
“And, I got through it. I told them: ‘I think I’m ready now’.”
Just four weeks after Linda died, Tom was back on tour again playing two outdoor gigs at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond upon Thames. Restrictions permitting, he’s also scheduled to appear at Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh in August. But he admitted it was tough to pick up his career.
“We opened with two nights at Hampton Court and the audience knew I was under pressure,” he said. “But they were all with me. Linda was with me all the way through it, too. I could see her laughing. She loved jokes. Every time I would come home from the road she would say: ‘Have you got any new jokes?’
“I could just see her laughing when I told her one. So, when I think of my wife, I think of her laughing.
“She got me through that first show. As she does with every show I do now. It’s made me stronger, as opposed to falling.”
Surrounded By Time is the 42nd album of Tom’s incredible 50-year plus career, in which he’s chalked up 36 Top 40 hits and sold 100 million records.
The singer – who has won Grammy, Ivor Novello and Brit awards – also has his own star on the famous Hollywood Walk Of Fame. In 2005, he was knighted by The Queen for his services to music.
The album features his interpretations of songs by stars such as Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Tony Joe White. It’s also notable for the man known as “The Voice” – who is a judge on the ITV talent show of the same name – talking instead of actually singing on two tracks.
One song, Talking Reality Television Blues, deals with our obsession with living life through the small screen. Tom was inspired by his hero, country legend Hank Williams.
As a teenager, he bought the album Beyond The Sunset by Williams’ alter ego, Luke The Drifter, from Freddie Fay’s music shop in Pontypridd.
On the record, the US singer speaks the lyrics. Jones said: “I remember television when it first came on. When I was 12 years old, my mother and father bought a TV set for me because I had tuberculosis and was bedridden for two years.
“So I had a TV right from the very beginning. There wasn’t a lot on in Britain in those days. But I saw the Queen’s Coronation. I also saw the Moon landing live in 1969 and Michael Jackson doing his famous moonwalk, which are in the lyrics too.
“Surrounded By Time is one of the best albums I’ve ever made. Over the years, thank God, I’ve had the good fortune to sing some really interesting stuff. I’ve gone through a lot of different genres of music.
“I’m still doing it and enjoying it as much – maybe even more now – than in years gone by.”
Several years ago, while recovering from illness, a doctor told him that – as he was getting on a bit – it was perhaps time to slow down a little. Those words were like a red rag to a bull.
But on June 7, the singer will celebrate his 81st birthday, and he’s come to terms with the fact he’s now in the twilight of his life. The track, I’m Growing Old, sees Jones address his advancing years for the very first time.
It was presented to him by jazz singer Bobby Cole after one of his shows in Las Vegas in 1972. But Jones didn’t think he had enough life experience to do record the song, so he’s been sitting on it for almost 50 years.
He said: “I told Bobby I really loved his song, but I was only 33 and I just didn’t feel like I was old enough to do it justice at that point.
“Sometimes you just have to be patient.”