Sir Tom Jones: The Voice judge says singing saved his life after wife's death
THE VOICE judge Sir Tom Jones has told how he thought he “wouldn’t make it” after the death of his wife but said that singing helped pull him through.
The Voice judge Sir Tom Jones has told how singing helped him get over the death of his wife Linda
Sir Tom revealed a counsellor warned he could die if he didn’t carry on working after he lost his wife of 59 years Linda to lung cancer almost a year ago.
Sir Tom, 76, who has been linked to Priscilla Presley in recent weeks, admitted he battled torturous dark days and couldn’t even get out of bed after her death.
But his son and manager Mark Woodward helped pull him through.
Sir Tom said: “I love to sing. Honestly that’s the truth. I am happier when I am singing than not.
"I didn’t know when my wife passed away, God bless her, I didn’t know whether I would make it. I really didn’t.
“My son Mark helped me tremendously. He said you must get to sing, you’ve got to sing – because I didn’t know whether I could.
The singer had to get back to the stage
Sir Tom Jones talks The Voice
“I was hit by grief, and yes, you don’t want to get out of bed to start with. I thought of my family, my son, my daughter-in-law, my grandchildren and my family back in Wales."
I am happier when I am singing than not
Mark suggested he saw a counsellor and he said that helped with the process.
Sir Tom said: “I did see somebody in LA right at the beginning. She said you’ve got to carry on. If you don’t, you’ll die. It’s up to you. You’ve got to get back to your music. That’s your passion. Get on with it. You’ve got to get on with it.”
Sir Tom also revealed he had booked his Voice finalist act, Welsh duo Into The Ark – Taylor Jones, 20, and Dane Lloyd, 22, from Blackwood – to support him on some of his summer tour dates and they were in talks about recording together.
The hitmaker lost wife of 59 years Linda to lung cancer almost a year ago
“They write songs, so who knows? The three of us could do one of their songs.”
Of the other judges, Will.i.am has pledged to take his finalist act, single mother Michelle John, 43, to the studio and record a track together written by Rihanna and Beyonce’s song writer.
Michelle, of Peckham, South London, had suffered in an abusive relationship before leaving to raise her son.
The judges of ITV's The Voice
Jennifer Hudson revealed that she would like to work with her two finalists 19-year-old Jamie Miller, from Cardiff, and 21-year-old Mo Adeniran, of Warrington, Cheshire.
The fourth judge, Gavin Rossdale, who is without a finalist, says he is keen to work with singer Truly Scrumptious and felt she may have missed the public vote.
Last night’s final began with a tribute to George Michael.
The four judges opened the show with a rendition of Michael’s hit Freedom ’90, days after he was laid to rest.