Sir Tom Jones has opened up about a regrettable incident that occurred during a tribute show for media mogul Sir Lew Grade in April 1975. The Welsh crooner, who was performing alongside Beatles legend John Lennon and other stars like Peter Sellers and Dave Allen, snubbed Lennon’s attempt to shake his hand during the grand finale.
In his book Over The Top And Back, Sir Tom confessed: “Men holding hands with men…I was shy of that. So I shook it off – dropped his hand. Stupid, uptight reaction. I’m sorry now that I did that.”
This wasn’t the first time Sir Tom had a run-in with Lennon. He also revealed in his book that he once wanted to “punch the lippy Scouser in the mouth” after Lennon made fun of his song It’s Not Unusual.
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In another shocking revelation, Sir Tom shared how Lennon mocked his hit tune early in his career. The incident took place while Lennon was rehearsing for UK ITV’s Thank Your Lucky Stars, with Sir Tom watching from the audience.
The 84-year-old singer recalls how Lennon spotted him and began singing his own version of It’s Not Unusual, changing the lyrics to ‘It’s not a unicorn, it’s an elephant’. Lennon then added insult to injury by calling out to him: “Then he nods at me and says ‘how are you doing, you Welsh poof? ‘Wow, a double-slap. John Lennon just took the p— out of my song and then called me a poof,” reports Wales Online.
Sir Tom was quite taken aback by the scathing remarks, finding himself in a dilemma between feeling humiliated and an urge to confront. He recounted, “I’m thrown into confusion: crushed and bristling at the same time. Should I melt into my seat or punch the lippy Scouser in the mouth? ” However, his manager, Gordon Mills, downplayed the issue by suggesting it was merely Lennon’s quirky humor.
Looking back, Sir Tom accepts that he should’ve brushed it off, admitting his greenness in the music world at that time. He reflected, “I’m touchy. I’m a novice. I’m working out where I belong here – if I belong here.”
Attendees of the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall will be graced by Sir Tom’s presence this evening at 9pm on BBC One, where he’s set to share the stage with the likes of Jack Savoretti and Alexandra Burke.