At 80, Tom Jones' Voice Is Still Going Strong On His New Album 'Surrounded  By Time' | NPR Illinois

LONDON, UK — In an age when most artists slow down and retreat from the spotlight, Sir Tom Jones has just thrown the rulebook out the window.

At 84 years old, the Welsh music icon has announced a surprise new international tour, and the music world is reeling with excitement — and emotion.

“I’m not done yet!” he declared in a video posted to his official social channels, his trademark grin intact and voice as powerful as ever.

The announcement, which dropped without warning earlier this week, comes at a time when many assumed Tom Jones had quietly stepped into retirement. Instead, what we’re getting is what insiders are calling “the final emotional ride of classic music.”

And tickets? They’re vanishing by the hour.


A Legend Refusing to Fade

Sir Tom Jones had 'no idea' about leaving The Voice - BBC News

Sir Tom has never played by industry expectations. From his early days belting soul in the valleys of Wales to commanding Las Vegas stages and global festivals, his voice has proven not just enduring, but seemingly eternal.

And this tour — still unnamed, but already selling out major venues across Europe and North America — is shaping up to be something far more personal than a victory lap.

According to sources close to the production, the new shows will include:

Newly written material, reflecting on legacy, love, and loss

stunning stage design unlike anything seen in previous Jones tours

heartfelt, tear-inducing tribute to friends and collaborators lost — including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and his late wife Linda

“It’s not a farewell, not exactly,” one tour insider shared. “But there’s a weight to it. Every note feels like a love letter to the life he’s lived — and the people he’s loved.”

Tom Jones | Official Website

Though full details remain under wraps, a leaked rehearsal report revealed that the setlist includes:

Classic hits like “It’s Not Unusual,” “Green, Green Grass of Home,” and “Delilah”

Reimagined acoustic versions of deep cuts rarely performed live

A brand-new song, believed to be called “I’ll Sing You Home,” reportedly inspired by his late wife

One band member described a rehearsal in which Tom broke down in tears mid-song — not out of weakness, but from the sheer emotional force of the lyrics he now delivers with decades of lived meaning.

“When he sings now,” a longtime tour manager said, “it’s not about showing off his voice. It’s about sharing his soul.”


Fans React: “It’s More Than a Concert — It’s History”

Social media erupted within hours of the announcement.

“I cried watching the trailer,” one fan posted on X (formerly Twitter). “He’s singing from somewhere deep now — you can feel it.”
“My whole family’s going,” wrote another. “Grandma, mom, and me. Three generations. We’ve waited for this moment.”

A limited number of VIP “Legacy Passes” are being offered — which include a signed tour print and exclusive access to a behind-the-scenes tribute film narrated by Tom himself.

Many fans are speculating: Is this his farewell? Or a rebirth?

Tom Jones has said nothing definitive. In classic fashion, he’s left it open-ended — letting the music speak.

Born in Pontypridd, Wales in 1940, Tom Jones first rose to fame in the 1960s and never looked back. Across seven decades, he’s sold over 100 million records, earned knighthood, and influenced generations of artists from every genre imaginable.

But what has always separated him from the rest isn’t just his voice — it’s his heart.

And this tour, by all early accounts, is a living, breathing example of just that.

“It’s not just a concert,” said one venue promoter. “It’s the closing chapter of a story we all feel part of.”


Don’t Call It a Goodbye — But Don’t Miss It Either

Whether this becomes Sir Tom Jones’s final tour or simply his most personal one, one thing is certain: it’s a rare moment in music history. A man who has given the world his voice is now giving it something even more precious:

His truth.

So when he says, “I’m not done yet,” believe him.
But when he sings — you’ll feel just how much he’s lived.

Tickets are on sale now. Don’t wait. This is the tour you’ll tell your grandchildren about.