Tom Jones told a sold-out Los Angeles crowd he believed he was dying after paramedics rushed him to intensive care with pneumonia.
The 86-year-old Welsh singer took the stage at the Greek Theatre on Wednesday night, his first performance since a week-long hospital stay at UCLA Medical Center. Jones, who was forced to postpone his originally scheduled October 26 date, described the moment he realized his condition was far worse than the flu he had initially suspected.
“And then they had to get the paramedics in, and I was like I can’t breathe,” Jones said from the stage.
The “What’s New Pussycat” singer spent two days in the ICU before doctors eventually asked what he wanted to do next. Jones said his answer came without hesitation.
“I have to get back on the stage, that’s where I belong,” he told the crowd, prompting a thunderous response from fans who had waited weeks for the rescheduled show.
Jones also shared the dark thoughts that ran through his mind during the emergency. “I thought this was it, you had a wonderful life Tommy but it’s over now,” he told the audience.
The singer praised the medical team that treated him. “UCLA did a wonderful job, so I’m here,” he continued.
Before launching into his set, Jones reflected on his history with the Greek Theatre venue, noting his first performance there came in 1969. He then introduced “It’s Not Unusual,” the song that launched his career to number one, telling the crowd, “This song really changed my life.”
The postponed Greek Theatre concert was part of Jones’ ongoing “Come Gather Round” tour, which kicked off its North American leg September 18 in Highland Park, Illinois. The worldwide tour began in England this past June, and Jones had completed 20 shows across the United States before his sudden illness struck.
In a post announcing the original postponement, Jones wrote, “I’ve had a great time these last few weeks, completing 20 shows and singing for wonderful audiences across the USA, but unexpectedly I’ve been hit with a bad case of the flu.”
What presented as flu symptoms rapidly escalated into the pneumonia that landed him in critical care and derailed his schedule.
Wednesday’s triumphant return saw Jones powering through a set list of his greatest hits including “Sex Bomb,” “She’s a Lady,” and “Delilah” for the sold-out audience.
The knighted entertainer, who received the honor from the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2006, has maintained a relentless touring schedule well into his mid-eighties.
Jones plays Yaamava’ Resort and Casino in Highland, California on Friday.