'Thank God My Voice Is Still Working': Scary Health Issues Tom Jones Has Faced

When Tom Jones turned 85 in 2025, he still had the voice that propelled him to superstardom decades ago. A year earlier, he had quipped to the Mirror about that, "Thank G-d." Even so, he certainly has had a number of health issues over the years, one of which stemmed from years of wild dance moves. 

Speaking on "Lorraine" in 2018, Jones joked about having had one hip replacement. "I think I just wore it out," he laughed, adding that he'd healed well. "It's like nothing ever happened. When you first get it done, you feel it a little bit. You feel that something's happened there, but now ... right as rain," he said. Unfortunately, a few years later, he would need surgery on his other hip. In a 2022 interview with the Daily Mail, he admitted that despite his surgery being so helpful, by that point, he couldn't get through a full show without feeling the pain on the side that hadn't been replaced. "I can do about four songs without sitting ... I've got an inversion table in my dressing room," he told the outlet. 

For the uninitiated, an inversion table is a contraption that allows one to hang upside down, effectively taking the pressure off the joints. "You go upside down for a couple of minutes and then you come up and then you can get on and off that you think, 'Oh, this is great,'" he explained. However, he shared that that was just because things hadn't settled back in again. "It doesn't back down," he said of the pain. A few months later, Jones underwent his second hip replacement surgery, taking to Instagram to share the news with his fans. "Papa has two new hips now!" he joked. 

Tom Jones is far from the only star who's needed hip replacement surgery (Madonna had it done in her early 60s, and even Adam Sandler had an issue with his). Even so, it is impressive that Jones continued performing pre-surgery and with all the pain. However, there have also been times he's had to cancel shows outright.

For one, he had to postpone a Budapest performance in 2022. Taking to Instagram, he rubbished the rumors that he had supposedly collapsed because of how ill he was, but nonetheless confirmed that he'd been diagnosed with viral laryngitis by a specialist. "He strongly advised postponing this evening's show and prescribed medication and vocal rest," Jones shared. Nevertheless, he promised a make-up show for the following month. It wouldn't be the first time he did so. In 2025, an upper respiratory infection forced him to postpone another show, this time in Bremen, Germany. "I know this is really disappointing and will cause inconvenience to you all, and I'm very sorry about that. But the show will now go ahead on Monday 28th July," he promised. 

Through it all, it's pretty clear Jones just loves to croon for his fans, and given how many stars' voices change with age, it's a blessing that he can. He's even joked to the Mirror that his still-strong voice is the thing that keeps him going. "When I am singing I am like, 'How the hell is this coming out of me?'" he said, adding that if that ever changed, he'd probably take it as a sign. "If the voice was not there I am sure I would be going, 'Urgh, I don't want to do so many shows,'" he admitted. Well, on behalf of Jones' fans, long may that be the case!