A statement released on the star’s Facebook page on Monday evening confirmed the sad news.
“Sir Tom Jones’ wife of 59 years, Lady Melinda Rose Woodward, passed away Sunday morning, April 10, after a short but fierce battle with cancer.”
“Surrounded by her husband and loved ones, she passed away peacefully at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.”
“Sir Tom and his family have asked for privacy at this difficult time and no further information is currently available,” it concluded.
In a love story worthy of the ages, Tom and Linda fell for another in their hometown of Pontypridd, Wales, when they were just 16 years old. They wed in 1957 and share 59-year-old son Mark together.
However it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the pair with the it’s Not Unusual hitmaker confessing to having a wandering eye.
“[The affairs were] never discussed, I was never put on the spot,” the star explained to talk show host Jonathan Ross.
“Linda is a wonderful person and she would never put me on the spot. She loves being married to me and I love being married to her.”
Watch Tom talk about his “don’t ask don’t tell” policy with his wife below. Post continues after the video…
Although Linda stayed out of the spotlight, she has previously spoken of their unbreakable bond.
“I feel alive when he comes through the door, whatever the time of day or night is,” she once mused.
Over the year the Welsh-born mother-of-one has suffered from a range of health issues including emphysema, depression and cancer.
Sadly, in recent years Linda had become reclusive and rarely left their LA home.
But Tom’s love for his wife was always unwavered. “She’s the most important thing in my life. An unbelievable woman. Linda is the love of my life and she still is.”
Tom and Linda tied the knot in 1957 and shared a son together.
