Tom Jones has revealed how frightening his recent illness became. The 86-year-old singer said he feared he was dying after his condition worsened during his U.S. tour. The latest Tom Jones health update comes after doctors treated him for pneumonia in Los Angeles. However, the singer has since returned to the stage.
Tom Jones reveals he thought ‘it’s over’ amid recent health scare
Jones opened up during his rescheduled Nov. 4 concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. According to the New York Post, he initially believed he had a severe case of the flu.
However, his condition soon became more serious. Jones said the illness developed into pneumonia and left him struggling to breathe. Paramedics then took him to UCLA Medical Center.
“I thought this was it,” Jones recalled. He said he believed his life might be “over” as his breathing problems worsened.
Jones spent about a week in the hospital, including two days in intensive care. He later praised the UCLA medical team for helping him recover.
The health scare also explains the sudden changes to his tour schedule. In late October, Jones postponed concerts in Los Angeles and San Diego after telling fans he had developed a “bad case of the flu.”
At that point, he had not publicly revealed the pneumonia diagnosis. Following doctors’ advice, the San Diego show was rescheduled for Nov. 3 and the Los Angeles performance for Nov. 4.
Jones also made his priorities clear as he recovered. He recalled telling hospital staff that he needed to return to performing.
“I have to get back on the stage,” he said.
He ultimately did exactly that. Jones performed at the rescheduled San Diego concert before returning to the Greek Theatre the following night.
The latest Tom Jones health update gives fans a clearer picture of what happened behind those postponements. What initially seemed like a difficult bout of flu led to a weeklong hospital stay that left him fearing for his life. Despite the health scare, Jones recovered enough to return to the stage and resume his Come Gather Round tour.
