Sir Tom Jones’ story about meeting Elvis Presley in 1965 has resurfaced, leaving fans in stitches over the awkward moment when he appeared to “mess up” in a pretty big way
It’s safe to say that Sir Tom Jones is a national treasure, with his legendary Welsh vocals winning over hearts time and time again. Yet, it’s not just his singing prowess that has made him a household name, but also his fascinating tales from the world of showbiz, thanks to rubbing shoulders with countless celebrities on his journey to fame.
Hailing from Pontypridd, the 85-year-old crooner has a wealth of anecdotes about his famous friends, one of which has previously had fans in stitches. This particular story resurfaced recently on TikTok, courtesy of a clip from The Graham Norton Show, and it involves none other than Elvis Presley.
The two singers, it seems, shared numerous unforgettable moments together, including one rather peculiar incident where they found themselves in the buff. With today (January 8) marking what would have been Elvis Presley’s birthday, it feels like the perfect occasion to revisit Tom Jones’s hilarious tale.
Sir Tom recounted how he first met Elvis back in 1965 during a trip to Hawaii, sparking a friendship that he described as “wonderful”.
He recalled: “And Gene Autry was there and I thought, God, this is unbelievable. My first year in show business, and then I had to go to Paramount Studios for a song for something, and they said ‘Elvis Presley is going to be there tomorrow, and he would like to meet you’.
“I thought, Elvis Presley wants to meet me? It was unbelievable, and I went there to go and see about this song, and they said ‘Elvis is filming, and once they’d stopped the filming, you go in’.
“So, I did, and they closed the doors again and I’m standing in the back there with the Memphis Mafia, these guys that work for him, and he’s in this mock helicopter with this girl.
“They did the scene, and I’m looking like, my God, it’s Elvis Presley, and then they said ‘cut’ and he looked across and went (waved). I was looking at these fellas who were with me, [and they said] ‘Elvis is waving at you, wave back’.”
He continued: “[And I thought] me? So anyways, he gets out of this helicopter and he starts walking towards me. Well, I had a record out at the [time] called With These Hands, it was a ballad, it was a beautiful song, and Elvis is walking towards me going ‘with these hands, I will cling to you’, and I thought if the boys back home could see me now.”
Naturally, despite Tom’s awkward waving moment, he developed a strong friendship with Elvis. The pair became incredibly close mates and frequently sang together, sometimes for hours on end.
However, they never formally recorded a duet for commercial release. Their musical sessions remained private affairs, typically taking place at home or in Las Vegas hotel suites.
After the video emerged online, it racked up thousands of views, with people rushing to share their reactions. Hundreds flooded the comments section with their opinions.
One individual remarked: “Tom Jones is a big star in his own right, but still remains humble when he meets other stars.” Another chimed in with: “Goes to show how great Elvis was among all the world’s biggest stars.”
Source: Mirror
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