Sir Tom Jones has shared the immense sorrow he experienced after losing his wife, leading him to sell their £6.5 million mansion in Los Angeles. The 85-year-old music legend opened up about his choice to return to the UK, leaving behind all the furniture and fixtures for the new owner.
“I’m permanently back in the UK now because my wife passed away in 2016,” he revealed. “So that was our house in LA. I didn’t feel at ease being there anymore.”
Tom and his wife Melinda, who were parents to their son Mark, were married for 59 years before she passed away from lung cancer at the age of 75. The iconic singer of ‘It’s Not Unusual’ often had to leave his ailing wife at home while he was on tour.
“She desired to return to Britain, she always missed home,” Tom shared. “Then she fell ill, and we couldn’t fulfill it. She urged me to go back in her last week. She wanted me to get a flat in London.”
“She would have been delighted to return, but we ran out of time.”
Tom mentioned, “She had decorated the entire place (in LA), so, except for the photos and some artwork, the new owner wanted everything, furniture and all, which worked well for me as I couldn’t have fit all that into a flat.”
Following a hip replacement that affected his walking, Tom faced challenges but is now back on his feet.
“I’m walking as if nothing happened,” he stated. “I can still dance on stage. The moves – that’s not about the leg, that’s about age; I’m not as agile as I used to be.”