Sir Tom Jones said he feared he might die after becoming seriously ill last week.
The 86-year-old singer spoke about the experience during his rescheduled concert at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on Wednesday. He recalled thinking that his life might be coming to an end, despite having had a wonderful one.
Jones was reportedly taken to UCLA Medical Center with pneumonia after initially mistaking his symptoms for the flu. He said paramedics were called when he began struggling to breathe.
He spent a week in hospital, including two days in intensive care. After he was discharged, doctors asked what he wanted to do next. His answer, he told the audience, was to return to the stage: performing is where he belongs, and he says he cannot live without it.
The crowd cheered as Jones also remembered his first performance at the Greek Theatre in 1969, shortly before “It’s Not Unusual” became his first No. 1 hit. He said the song changed his life.
The Los Angeles concert had originally been scheduled for late October but was postponed because of his illness. Jones had said he was sorry to reschedule the Los Angeles and San Diego shows after coming down with a bad case of the flu, and hoped to see fans soon.
Jones began his 25-date “Come Gather Round” tour in September, following a successful series of shows in England over the summer. The Welsh singer was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1998 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006.
