Popularly known as the Welsh hit-making singer, Thomas John Woodward is indeed a legend when it comes to making rock, pop or soul music. The sultry-voiced Pussycat singer has been a major force to reckon with especially in the British and European markets with immensely successful albums from the ‘80s and even into the new millennium. So far, he has won a Grammy, got bestowed with knighthood and drawing on his extensive musical experience, became a judge on the Voice UK.
Date of Birth: June 7, 1940
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
The good-looking artist loved to sing at social events and in the school choir but he struggled with dyslexia. Jones was bedridden with tuberculosis when he was only 12 years and he spent these two years listening to music and drawing. For Jones who wasn’t interested in education, it was no surprise when he quit school at age 16 and resorted to working as a manual labourer and as a door-to-door vacuum salesman.
Tom started his musical career in 1963 as the member of a band until he was discovered by Gordon Mills who brought him over to London and eventually became his manager. This marked the beginning of his solo career and for a name; he decided to go with his mother’s name, Jones at the suggestion of his new manager, Mills. Read on to know more about this international crooner.
Freda Woodward (nee Jones) (mother)
Date of Birth: December 30, 1914
Date of Death: February 7, 2003 (aged 88)
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
She was the homemaker who raised Tom and his sister.
Thomas Woodward (father)
Date of Birth: March 31, 1910
Date of Death: October 5, 1981 (aged 71)
Zodiac Sign: Aries
All we know about Woodward is that he worked as a coal miner.
Sheila Woodward (older sister from same parents)
Year of Birth: 1934
Sheila is the only sibling to the Sex bomb singer. She lives in Los Angeles and is close to her brother.
Katherine Berkery (former mistress)
Year of Birth: 1963
Duration of Relationship: October 1987
She was a model who happened to be one of Jones’ numerous flings. He was on tour in America when he met Berkery and they were together for just four days. Three months later, Katherine realised that she was pregnant. After a lengthy battle and DNA testing, an American court ruled that Jones was Jonathan’s father but he flatly denied paternity for over 20 years.
Melinda Trenchard (late spouse)
Duration of Marriage: March 2, 1957 – April 10, 2016 (59 years); till her death
Month of Birth: January 1941
Date of Death: April 10, 2016 (aged 75)
Melinda and Tom met when they were 12 in Pontypridd, South Wales. They were only 16 when they got married and that same year became parents. They wanted more children but the singer revealed in his autobiography that a miscarriage made his wife infertile so she could no longer have kids. Though he remained married to Linda, Jones was well known for his infidelities; he once admitted to sleeping with over 250 groupies during his career heydays.
Linda died after a short but fierce battle with lung cancer. Her death was indeed traumatic for the Delilah singer, he explained that after his high school sweetheart passed, he didn’t know if he would make it but also revealed how therapy helped him cope.
It’s been almost two years now since Linda passed and it seems like the Voice coach is finding love again with Priscilla who was once married to Elvis Presley. They have been friends for many years but the speculation is yet to be confirmed whether they are officially together.
Mark Woodward (son with Melinda Trenchard)
Date of Birth: April 11, 1957
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Mark is the only child Jones had with his beloved wife. He became his father’s manager after Gordon Mills passed in 1986. He is married to Donna Woodward who is also Tom’s manager. They are parents to Alex Woodward (born 1983) who was a full bore rifle shooter (represented Wales in the Commonwealth Games) and Emma Woodward (born 1987).
(L-R) Marc, Emma, Tom, Alex
Jonathan Berkery “Jon Jones” (son with Katherine Berkery)
Year of Birth: 1988
For over 20 years, Tom denied that he was Jonathan’s father until 2008 when he finally admitted but made no suggestion if he wanted to meet with his son. He goes by the name Jon Jones and he stated that he became a gun-carrying drug dealer because he was abandoned by his father. According to Jon, he was one angry kid, crying out for a father but till date, Tom has not reached out to this estranged son.
Ron Neville
January 27, 2018 at 9:11 pm
It sounds odd for you to refer to Melinda Trenchard as his former spouse. It sounds more correct to call her his late spouse. ‘Former’ implies that they broke up, when in fact she died, and would still be with him if that hadn’t happened. If he remarried, it would sound alright, but not as of now. Late spouse is still more appropriate.