Tom Jones voices his disbelief at still being able to belt out a tune at 83

Sir Tom Jones has been touring Down Under since March and as he wraps up the Australian leg of his worldwide Ages & Stages tour, he reveals his incredulity at still being able to sing.

During his sell out tour the legendary crooner reflected on his successful 50-year career and discussed still being able to sing and sing well on stage.

“When I am singing I am like, ‘How the hell is this coming out of me?’ Honestly,” he told The Mirror.

“If the voice was not there I am sure I would be going, ‘Urgh, I don’t want to do so many shows’ but I love it as the voice is still working!”

The Delilah hitmaker’s ongoing ability to sell out shows and entertain audiences with his powerful vocals and evocative lyrics is in stark contrast to his coal-miner father’s expectations of his singing career.

Speaking to The Mirror, the eternal singing sensation recalls his father’s apprehension back in 1965 when his hit song, It’s Not Unusual, catapulted him to success.

As money started pouring in, one Sunday night he asked his father, “‘Where are you going?’ and he said, ‘I am going to work’. It was a Sunday night. I said, ‘You can’t be going’ and he said, ‘I am, I am a coal miner’.

“I said, ‘Not any more you are not’ and he said, ‘Yes I am’. I said, ‘Dad, I am selling records and making money’ and he said, ‘Yes, well how long will it last?'”

50 years later and still going strong, Sir Tom has revealed the only thing that would propel him towards retirement is the loss of his voice. 

“The only way [I would retire] is if I couldn’t sing any more,’ he told Metro.

“If something went wrong with my vocal ability, I wouldn’t want to go on not in full strength. I wouldn’t like to shortchange an audience.”

As long as his voice resonates, the iconic singer’s dynamic performances and magnetic stage presence will continue to enthrall audiences, reminding us all that age is no barrier to pursuing one’s true passion.

“When you’re young you’re full of p*** and vinegar and you’re giving it plenty. Now I concentrate more on singing than I do anything else,” Jones explained.

“When you’re young, you’re moving around the stage and want to get as much out of it as possible, and you have to be careful you don’t burn out. You can fire all your guns at once and that could be a problem. So you’ve got to learn to pace yourself, that’s important.”

Jones also revealed singing has kept him going after decades of captivating audiences with his electrifying performances.

“The basic thing is I still love to sing. I love singing now as much as I ever did,” he revealed.