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Tom Jones, 86, Reveals Terrifying Brush With Death

The singer said he thought his life was “over.”

Legendary singer Tom Jones has revealed he thought he was close to death after a severe bout of flu last week. The Welsh singer, 86, was taken to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and had to cancel several performances. “[I thought] Oh well, this is it, you’ve had a wonderful life, Tommy, but it’s over right now,” he told fans at a concert this week after recovering. “I must say this, in the UCLA, they really did a wonderful job. So I’m here.” Jones is performing in the U.S. on his Come Round Together tour. He is a Grammy winner and Golden Globe nominee with 19 U.S. top 40 hits, including 1965’s “It’s Not Unusual” and 1971’s “She’s a Lady.” The late Queen Elizabeth II knighted Jones in 2006.