When they were first introduced to one another, Sir Tom Jones and Melinda Rose “Linda” Woodward were both youngsters; the age gap between them was just seven months. Tom, who was the elder sibling, says that he has been in love with Linda ever since she was 12 years old; nevertheless, he did not ask Linda out on a date until she was 15 years old.
Tom, who was keen to see Linda, would time his visits to the store to coincide with hers so that they could spend time together doing things like hanging out, talking, or going to the movies. The performer of “She’s a Lady” was not the only young man who fancied Linda, and he had to be vigilant in order to save himself from losing her to one of his rivals.
Tom spoke about how he had to be at the right place at the right time in his autobiography titled “Over the Top and Back: The Remarkable Autobiography from a National Treasure.” at this book, he described how he had to make sure he was there to guarantee that nothing happened between Linda and the lads who would escort her home.
The good news is that Tom reported that his efforts had paid off since Linda was drawn to him as well; nevertheless, there was another youngster who gave him a run for his money:
“To my great relief, she appears to have the same level of interest in me that I do in her; as a result, things between us go relatively smoothly, with only a moderate amount of stress and emotional anguish.”
Tom and Linda spent the whole of their first encounter with each other conversing about various topics. The singer would blow his whistle in front of Linda’s home in order to get her attention and entice her to come out and spend time with him. Tom went to see Linda late one night and sung to her as he waited outside her home after everyone else had gone to bed.
Tom said that he began to have romantic feelings for Linda far before they engaged in any sexual activity together. He recalls being bedridden for two years due to TB, which caused him to be unwell and confined to his bed. In spite of his condition, he continued to suffer from a bodily anguish brought on by the fact that he was unable to see Linda. He revealed that:
Even when I was just 11 or 12 years old, I experienced a hurt in my chest because of this individual. I yearned to be with this person. I literally could not wait to get out of bed… and see this girl.
In the evening, Linda shared with Tom the news that she had not had her period. Tom jokingly suggested to her that maybe it was only late, but he was shown to be incorrect as they quickly discovered that Linda was pregnant at the age of 15. Tom said that they had no means of understanding how to have safe sex since there was no instruction on sexuality taught in schools back then.
Tom and Linda made the decision to be married after discovering that Linda was pregnant, despite the fact that their ages and living situations presented significant challenges. Due to the fact that Linda had not yet reached the age of 16, the law prohibited her from getting married. After being married, the couple also found themselves without a place to reside since they were unable to pay the rent on their own apartment or house.
After some time, their family came around to the idea of allowing them to be married when Linda reached 16 years old. However, following the wedding, they would be forced to spend their time apart since Linda would continue to live with her parents and Tom would continue to live at his father’s house.
Tom and Linda tied the knot in a low-key ceremony on the second Saturday in March of 1957. There were no people wearing white gowns or morning suits, nor were there any individuals throwing confetti. The ceremony took place not in a religious building but rather in a simple room that smelled of polish.
In his book, Tom also discussed the delivery of his first kid for the first time. He claimed that he was not with Linda at the hospital while she was giving birth to their child. On the other hand, he phoned in twice, and the first time he did so, the baby had not yet been delivered.
On the other hand, the second call he received informed him that “Congratulations, your wife has given birth to a baby boy.” Tom eventually made his way back to check on his wife the evening she had their child. He brought some fruits for Linda in a shopping bag that he brought along with him.
Tom was taken aback when he first saw the newborn since the child seemed to have a mark or scar on the top of his head. However, the physicians reassured him that the head will eventually round out as a result of the fact that some newborns experience a little of squishing after delivery.
The musician said that he would never be able to forget the sensation he had when he had his son for the first time. He described the sensation as indescribable and an overpowering surge that went all the way through a person. The couple decided to give their child the name Mark Woodward.
Tom has discussed his connection with Linda on a number of different times in the past. The song “The Road,” which was published in 2008, included the singer’s confession that he was a “lady’s man” and detailed his numerous extramarital relationships. Tom stated that he had been lost many times but that he had always found his way back to his wife.
It was well known that the singer had a soft spot for the ladies. During his travels, there were even whispers that he would treat 21-year-old groupies to lap dances and other forms of entertainment. Tom further confessed that during his time as a lothario, he had sexual encounters with as many as 250 women every year.
Tom feels thankful that his wife remained faithful to him during the whole of their marriage, despite the fact that Linda suffered through everything, even the infidelity. In an interview with the Associated Press in 2009, the singer known for her hit song “Delilah” said that the two understood one other:
“Our marriage triumphed over everything else in our lives. I had no intention of ever leaving her, and she had no intention of ever leaving me…She added, “Look, I don’t care what happens as long as you come back to me.”
Additionally, Linda provided support for Tom even when he was away on business trips. Tom claims that Linda kept in touch with her on a daily basis while he was gone. Due to Linda’s regular phone conversations, the pair had become so used to one another that they could carry on a conversation as if they were together even when they were not in the same room.
Tom once characterized Linda to the CBC as a piece of himself during an interview in the year 2015. He said that despite having spent over sixty years together, the two were still very much in love with one other.
Tom is also a romantic person, as shown by the fact that he preserved the Treforest telephone box that he and Linda used to make out in at the end of their street. When he learned that the city council intended to remove the telephone booth, he had it transported to his family’s home in Los Angeles so that it would be near to their swimming pool.
However, Tom said that he still struggles to perform in front of an audience, particularly when performing songs that Linda cherished.
In contrast to Tom’s more prominent lifestyle, Linda lived a far more private one. She preferred the isolated existence in the couple’s house in Beverly Hills to Tom’s life, which consisted of traveling the globe. Tom’s life was more exciting. Because Tom was committed to shooting “The Voice” in London, the pair was forced to spend many months apart.
Jo Mills, who was married to Tom’s late manager Gordon Mills, was of the opinion that Linda would have had a more prominent life if the singer had included her in his activities in the entertainment industry. Jo reportedly said that if Linda had received the confidence at an earlier age, she would have been an entirely different person:
“I believe that from the very beginning, Linda was made to feel as if she must not exist in his life. He treated her as if she had no place in his world. It is unfortunate since she is such a kind and friendly person.
Tom disclosed in his memoirs that his wife suffered from emphysema and agoraphobia and that she had both conditions. The singer also said that Linda had been suffering from depression ever since she was a young age and that she and her husband both struggled with mental health difficulties throughout their marriage.
Tom expressed his opinion to the Sunday Times Magazine that Linda’s struggle with melancholy had caused her to become apathetic and cause her to lose her spark. However, he claimed that Linda would always remain the love of his life, despite the fact that she did not seem as she did when they were first together.
In addition to this, the singer said that Linda was smoking excessively, drawing attention to herself, and becoming more and more sedentary. Tom acknowledged that despite the challenges they had been through, Linda continued to be the most significant person in his life.
By the year 2014, Linda had already fought cancer twice, and she would eventually succumb to the disease in the following year, 2016. Tom says that his wife’s loss came out of nowhere since Linda didn’t find out she had lung cancer until the disease was at an advanced stage when she was diagnosed.
Tom was so shaken up by one of Linda’s previous cancer scares that he warned his son that if his mother passed away, he would no longer be able to sing. Linda ultimately beat the disease and went on to live a healthy life. Mark offered Tom words of encouragement and emphasized the importance of the group ensuring Linda’s survival.
Tom freely acknowledges that everything transpired unexpectedly and rapidly when Linda was given a diagnosis of lung cancer for the third time. Linda was aware that the finish line was getting closer. However, the singer, who had postponed all of his appearances in order to spend more time with his wife, disclosed to her that he was unsure whether or not he would be able to continue performing:
“‘Linda, you are aware that there is no cure for this kind of cancer, right?…To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I’m going to do. After this, I don’t see a future for myself.”
Even after she passed away, Linda urged Tom and their son Mark to go on with their lives. She pleaded with them to not let her down since they did not have to give up life just because she had done so. She asked Tom to assure her that he would keep singing, and he promised her that he would:
“‘You have no choice but to do it. You can’t go down with me like that. My departure is required, but you are not required to go. You just must keep going forward. You are still able to sing. You have to give me your word on it.
Prior to the onset of her ailments, Linda had a strong yearning to relocate to the UK. She pleaded with Tom to make this fantasy come true, and the musician obliged her by selling their house for $7.1 million and relocating to London.
In the end, Linda passed away on April 10th, 2016, at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital located in Los Angeles. Her fight with lung cancer, according to the physicians, was going to be quick but intense.
Tom said that after the passing of his wife, he felt like his life was gone. As the musician said in an interview with BBC Sounds in 2021, he was so used to having Linda in his life that he felt a part of him had passed away along with his wife:
“She was the part of me, and I was the part of her,” we both said at the time.When she passed away, a piece of me also did. It has taken me some time to attempt to get my life back on track and to feel whole again.
Tom also said that it was very difficult for him to come to terms with the loss of his wife since he could still hear her voice and see her in his dreams, but she was gone when he opened his eyes in the morning.
Tom further said that Linda’s loss was “sudden.” After the passing of his wife, he made a solemn pledge to himself that he would never marry again. He said that he was still going through the process of getting over the loss of his wife, and that the thought of entering into another relationship was the farthest thing from his mind.
The musician went on to say that he could never marry again since he had never been in a relationship with anybody else. This statement was made by Tom amidst allegations that he was dating Priscilla Presley, who was formerly married to Tom’s late buddy Elvis Presley.
In 1972, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley got a divorce. Following Linda’s passing, there were whispers that Tom had begun a relationship with Priscilla. On the other hand, Tom clarified the situation by stating that Priscilla and him were just friends who socialized together by going out to dinner sometimes.
Prior to the onset of her ailments, Linda had a strong yearning to relocate to the UK. She pleaded with Tom to make this fantasy come true, and the musician obliged her by selling their house for $7.1 million and relocating to London.
In the end, Linda passed away on April 10th, 2016, at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital located in Los Angeles. Her fight with lung cancer, according to the physicians, was going to be quick but intense.
Tom said that after the passing of his wife, he felt like his life was gone. As the musician said in an interview with BBC Sounds in 2021, he was so used to having Linda in his life that he felt a part of him had passed away with his wife:
“She was the part of me, and I was the part of her,” we both said at the time.When she passed away, a piece of me also did. It has taken me some time to attempt to get my life back on track and to feel whole again.
Tom also said that it was very difficult for him to come to terms with the loss of his wife since he could still hear her voice and see her in his dreams, but she was gone when he opened his eyes in the morning.
Tom further said that Linda’s loss was “sudden.” After the passing of his wife, he made a solemn pledge to himself that he would never marry again. He said that he was still going through the process of getting over the loss of his wife, and that the thought of entering into another relationship was the farthest thing from his mind.
The musician went on to say that he could never marry again since he had never been in a relationship with anybody else. This statement was made by Tom amidst allegations that he was dating Priscilla Presley, who was formerly married to Tom’s late buddy Elvis Presley.
In 1972, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley got a divorce. Following Linda’s passing, there were whispers that Tom had begun a relationship with Priscilla. On the other hand, Tom clarified the situation by stating that Priscilla and him were just friends who socialized together by going out to dinner sometimes.
Tom admits that it was difficult for him to take up where he left off in his music career when Linda passed away. Tom’s son and daughter-in-law inspired him to pick up his guitar and start playing again. His son had spoken to him:
“Listen, if you don’t sing again, you’re going to pass away, you’re just going to wither away and pass away.” Do you wish to carry out that activity?
Tom eventually resumed his touring career and started doing outdoor performances four weeks following the passing of his wife. He said that he imagines Linda to be there with him throughout the performances, which helps make things easier for him.
However, Tom said that he still struggles to perform in front of an audience, particularly when performing songs that Linda cherished. Tom continued by saying that Linda was a big fan of jokes and that whenever he got back from a tour, Linda would immediately start asking for fresh jokes:
“When I told her one, I could almost hear her giggling to herself. Consequently, when I think of my wife, the image that comes to me is of her laughing. That was my first concert, and she got me through it.”
After going back on stage, the singer said, “Music is saving my life,” and then continued his performance. He said that he now places a greater emphasis on music than he did in the past since he is aware that this is what his late wife would have wanted for him to accomplish.
Tom fulfilled one of his wife’s last wishes by moving back to London from Los Angeles, something she had requested before she passed away. He said to The Sun that his wife had always wanted to relocate back to London, but once she found out she had cancer, it was no longer possible for her to do so.
intending to do together. The singer also confessed that he did not feel comfortable living alone in the property that he and his wife had previously shared:
“We used to live in that mansion in Los Angeles. I was no longer able to relax there as I used to. Because she missed her home so much, Linda insisted that I accompany her to the United Kingdom.
Tom continued by saying that since Linda was the one who was responsible for designing the whole estate, it was difficult for him to live there by himself. The singer placed the mansion up for sale, and the buyer specified that they wanted it complete with all of the furnishings. Tom complied with this request and sold the property to the buyer.
Tom lives in London alone himself but is still close to his family since Mark and his grandkids reside in the same neighborhood. He claims that if Linda had not passed away unexpectedly, the two of them would have delighted to make the move back together.
