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- Daily Mirror
Tom Jones' late wife's last advice to him as he prepared to lose love of life
Sir Tom Jones was married to his wife Melinda "Linda" Trenchard for 59 years before she died in 2016, and the legendary singer has opened up on her tragic advice to him
Sir Tom Jones has opened up about the heart-wrenching final words from his late wife before she succumbed to cancer. The iconic singer was by Melinda "Linda" Trenchard's side during her last days after a life together that spanned 59 years, from their marriage in 1957 until her death in 2016.
Celebrating his 85th birthday, Sir Tom recounted the profound advice Linda gave him. Speaking on BBC 's Sounds of the 60s with Tony Blackburn, he shared: "When my wife knew that she had terminal cancer, I was with her for the last 10 days in hospital in the room with her.
"She said, 'Look I gotta leave, but you don't fall with me. I'm going down, I know, there's nothing I can do about it but don't you do that.'".
He continued to reveal how his beloved Linda urged him to persevere and how those words not only helped him through his grief but also guide him when advising young artists today.
"She told me, 'Don't you fall with me, you've got to keep going, you've got to get on stage. You've still got songs to sing and think of me when you do it'."
Tom reflected on the levity Linda brought to his life, underlining the importance of laughter and remembrance. He went on to express how Linda's memory gave him the fortitude to carry on with his career despite considering retirement in the wake of her passing, reports Wales Online.
"She loved jokes and I used to make her laugh a lot so. Now, she gives me strength as when she passed away I thought I was gonna crumble."
Noting the challenge of managing emotions while performing, Sir Tom disclosed how close he came to ending his singing career due to overwhelming emotion: "I almost packed it in. I didn't think I could sing anymore because you can't get too emotional sing when you sing because your voice won't come out."
Sir Tom Jones has shared some sage advice for aspiring vocalists, saying, "This is what I say to singers now, you take the emotion and then you work it into the song, get it through, but don't get too involved with it because then you'll cry and you won't be able to sing."
Celebrating a milestone, the legendary singer announced on his Instagram: "I'm celebrating my 85th birthday this Saturday! and am thrilled to be sharing a very special concert performance - 'Live on Soundstage 2017' for the first time on my YouTube channel."
In addition to joining Tony Blackburn on the BBC, Sir Tom is set to feature in a BBC Arts programme called In My Own Words, as reported by GB News. Reflecting on the opportunity, the iconic Sex Bomb singer expressed: "Taking the time to look back at some of the extraordinary things that have happened in my life for In My Own Words has been really enjoyable and thought-provoking.
"Some of the archive I'd not seen before, and watching snippets of those past times, places, styles, and struggles brought home how lucky I am.
"Being able to spend the day in the first house I ever owned brought back so many memories... I hope everyone enjoys watching it as much as I did making it!".
