We’ve seen countless artists take over “The Voice” stage over the years, and most of them do not disappoint. But one unexpected performance has had everyone in tears after legendary singer Sir Tom Jones paid an emotional tribute to his late wife.
Jones is an iconic Welsh singer that has shown off his incredible vocal abilities since the mid-1960s. With songs such as “It’s Not Unusual,” “Delilah” and “She’s A Lady,” many have grown to love and adore Jones and his beautiful talent in the musical department. His voice is rich and deep, which makes for the perfect baritone sound as he’s sung about love and heartbreak over his many years in the music industry.
Born on June 7, 1940, in South Wales, Jones grew up in the era of listening to Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Brook Benton, so it’s no surprise the singer developed a passion for soul music. He sang everywhere including at family gatherings, weddings and his school choir. This led him to eventually land the spot of front-man in the beat group Tommy Scott and the Senators in 1963.
Along with his illustrious career in the music industry, Jones has also shown off his talents as an actor and was the host of his own television series called “This Is Tom Jones.” His outstanding contributions to the arts even led to him being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.
In the last decade, Jones has made waves in the industry once again for his participation as a judge on “The Voice UK,” a competition series he has been on since 2012, with the exception of the year 2016.
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Melinda, Tom Jones (1965), (Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
During his long career, Jones also managed to find love and was married to Melinda Rose Trenchard — better known as Linda — from March 2, 1957, until her death on April 10, 2016.
Jones and his wife met as kids while growing up in Pontypridd in South Wales. They were basically childhood sweethearts. He loved his wife so much that he took a hiatus from touring and his time on “The Voice UK” when she fell ill. Trenchard died of lung cancer in 2016, and the couple was married for 59 years.
Their nearly 60-year marriage is one for the record books, and despite issues within their relationship related to Jones’ alleged philandering, the couple stayed together and loved each other through it all.
In the years that followed Trenchard’s death, Jones opened up about missing his wife and what she meant to him. Then, following a contestant’s performance on “The Voice UK” in 2019, Jones was left missing his late wife and shared his heartfelt emotions with the world.
In an interview with PEOPLE in 2021, Tom Jones talked about a conversation he shared with his late wife
“When we found out she was sick, I canceled the tour I was on and went to visit her in the hospital in Los Angeles. I told her I wasn’t sure if I would be able to sing anymore,” he told PEOPLE. “But she told me, ‘You’ve got to. There’s no way out for me, I know where I’m going. But don’t die with me,'” he added.
In an interview with The Sun in 2017, Jones said he won’t marry again despite rumors that he and Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley are supposedly in a relationship.
“I’m still trying to get over that. I don’t think I ever will, so the last thing on my mind is marriage,” he said.
Then again, he made it clear that he and Priscilla are just friends.
“We’re not dating, but we do go out to dinner,” he told PEOPLE.
He explained to PEOPLE in a different interview the reason behind his decision not to get married — that he doesn’t share the same history with anyone else as he did with his late wife.
“I was asked the other day, ‘Would you ever get married again?'” said Jones. “I couldn’t because there’s no history with anybody else.”
In September 2022, Jones performed “I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall” on “The Voice” in honor of Trenchard.
“Now this song is very important to me,” he said. “I try to pick songs that mean a lot to me. And this song is trying to tell you that people that you love, sometimes they need to be backed up,” he added. “You need to give them strength and encouragement,” he remarked.
His fellow judge Anne-Marie couldn’t help but feel moved during Jones’ performance of the emotional song.
“I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall’ was written by Bernice Johnson Reagon. The song originally appeared on Johnson Reagon’s 1975 album “Give Your Hands To Struggle: The Evolution Of A Freedom Fighter.”
Were you also moved by Sir Tom Jones’ emotional tribute to his late wife? Which part of his performance made you cry? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on to anyone who might be interested to read this story!