Tom Jones reflects on turning 81: “As long as I've got two bloody legs, I'll keep performing”
Sir Tom Jones turns 81 today and chatted about the highs and lows of his nearly 60-year career in a new interview.
Speaking with OK Magazine, the Welsh pop idol said his greatest achievement was being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.
“The thing I am most proud of is being knighted by the queen,” expressed Jones — born Thomas John Woodward. “When I was a child, they didn’t give medals to entertainers. I just thought if I could make a living as a singer, I’d be the happiest person in the world, which I am, but you don’t think about being knighted.”
Knighthood aside, the singer also reflected on his darkest moment — the tragic passing of his wife, Linda, who died of cancer in 2016.
“Some people don’t meet the right person, but she was the one,” he explained. “If not for my wife, I don’t know what would have happened. Even when she got lung cancer, she was strong and she gave me strength. I was devastated when she passed away.”
But Jones said his wife’s memory keeps him going, and offered fans a glimpse at his future plans, starting with a massive European tour after taking the last year off because of COVID-19.
“I love singing to a lot of people. Without them, what’s the point?,” he remarked.
Because of that, Jones has no plans of slowing down, and revealed, “I must admit that I don’t feel 80. I’ve got good bones and I am pretty fit, and as long as I’ve got two bloody legs, I’ll keep performing.”
He is cautioning his fans, however, not to expect the Tom Jones of the ’60s and ’70s. Jokingly, he says, “The tight pants, open neck shirt, people throwing things at me — that went with time.”
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