Sir Tom Jones has told fans he feared his life was over after being admitted to a hospital in the United States suffering from influenza. The 86-year-old singer from Pontypridd spent a week receiving treatment at the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, which forced him to cancel or postpone several concert appearances.
Return to the Stage and Medical Care
Performing at the Greek Theatre on Wednesday night, the veteran artist shared with the audience the severity of his illness. “[I thought] Oh well, this is it, you’ve had a wonderful life, Tommy, but it’s over right now,” he stated.
He praised the medical personnel at the Los Angeles facility, stating that the team performed an exceptional job in his care. After spending seven days under observation, he informed his doctors that returning to performing was his immediate priority because the stage is his true home.
Recent Career Highlights and Background
The health scare follows recent headlines regarding the singer’s departure from the coaching panel of The Voice UK, after participating as a coach on the television singing competition since its launch in 2012. During his final series, he guided Welsh vocalist Cate McHugh to win the competition.
McHugh previously described being selected for Team Tom during the blind auditions as an indescribable experience. Over a career spanning more than six decades, the performer behind hits such as *Delilah* and *It’s Not Unusual* has secured three UK number-one singles and four chart-topping albums.
His accolades feature a Grammy Award and two Brit Awards, alongside a knighthood awarded by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for his contributions to music.
He is scheduled to continue his concert schedule with a performance at the Yaamava’ Theater in San Bernardino, California, on Friday.
