For fans and journalists, Sir Tom Jones’s life has always been fascinating. He is the music legend behind the classics Delilah, Sexbomb, and What’s New Pussycat, among others. His beloved wife of 59 years had always been “his lady,” despite the numerous allegations of infidelity that have been told about him over the years.
Sir Tom Jones, knighted by Her Majesty the Queen, and Linda Trenchard were married at the age of sixteen and remained in love for the rest of their lives. The musician declared that he will never love another woman when Linda tragically passed away from cancer in April 2016.
Following Linda’s “short but fierce” struggle with lung cancer, Sir Jones canceled all of his concerts. In actuality, he struggled to accept reality and, long after the loss, lacked the strength to sing. He talked candidly about their marriage and love, even admitting at one point that he held himself responsible for her passing.
He mentioned Bob Dylan’s “What Good Am I?” which was Linda’s favorite song. He described how he couldn’t stop reading the lyrics over and over again and wondered, “Jesus Christ, was I partly to blame? Do I need to have woken up earlier? Because she didn’t go, you begin to wonder, “What if I had forced her to go to the doctors?”
Sir Jones shared the sad news with his fans and wrote, “Surrounded by her husband and loved ones, she passed away peacefully.”
After the passing of his wife, Sir Jones shared, “When my wife passed away, I didn’t think I could sing. When you’re emotional, you can’t sing, your voice closes up.
“There are certain songs I wouldn’t do. But you have to try and get things in the right perspective. Feeling emotional; use it to your advantage and put it into the song.”
Despite his grief, he chose to honor one of her final wishes by relocating to London after her death. Linda had always expressed a desire to reconnect with her roots and return to England, prompting her husband to sell their mansion in LA to fulfill her wish.
“She always said she wanted to come back and then she could not do it, so then she told me to do it in the last week she was alive.”
Mark Woodward was the couple’s only child, but Sir Jones had another son with a lady he had an affair with. It seems that he loved his wife without conditions, but they had a “don’t ask” rule when he was on his national and international tours. Nobody truly understood Linda’s feelings regarding her husband’s extramarital affairs and secret existence.
The sex symbol once admitted he had slept with around 250 women in a year.
In 1987, Sir Jones had an affair with 24-year-old Katherine Berkery while on one of his US tours. After becoming pregnant, she asserted that the music celebrity was the father. She went on to say that she was unaware of his marital status.
Sir Jones requested a paternity test because he didn’t want to face reality. He found out the next year that the boy was truly his, but he still refused to interact with him or his mother.
Sir Jones was required to pay monthly maintenance until his son, Jonathan, reached the age of 18. However, Jonathan grew up blaming his father’s absence for many of the struggles he faced in life.
“When his wife Linda passed I hoped we could finally meet and get to know each other but it didn’t happen,” Jonathan shared with the Sunday Mirror.
“Now I worry about him being ill. He’s old, he might pass before I get the chance to right the wrongs. I don’t want anything from my father, all I want to do is sit and talk, tell him about my life and ask about his – just normal stuff.”
Reflecting on his difficult upbringing, Jonathan said, “Not having a father growing up was tough. All I ever wanted was his love. People think I look and sound like a younger version of my dad,” as he opened up about battling drug addiction and spending years living on the streets.
We hope this remarkable singer will one day reconcile with his family and rediscover happiness through the support of his loved ones, fans, and those who care about him.
