Sir Tom Jones, 84, launches fresh attack on ‘p***k’ Engelbert Humperdinck, 88, amid feud: ‘Tried to talk’
Sir Tom Jones, 84, still has no time for fellow singer Engelbert Humperdinck, 88, decades on from when their public spat hit headlines.
The pair have spent their careers lighting up music charts and performing for millions across the globe but despite their similar paths and starts in the industry, they’ve not seen eye to eye.
Jones and Humperdinck have long had a feud with one another that stems right back to the 1970s following their introductions to the same record label, Decca Records.
They shared the same manager in the ’60s while signed to Decca and both enjoyed bright starts to their careers in the music industry with Humperdinck going by the name of Gerry Dorsey at the time.
In the 1970s, it emerged the two had clashed and were no longer on speaking terms, although neither artist has expressed the exact reason or shared the incident that sparked the now-decades-long spat.
In the latest twist to their long-running rivalry, Jones – who’ll return to screens on ITV’s The Voice this weekend – has spoken out about their feud once more, branding the 88-year-old a “p***k”.
WATCH HERE: Engelbert Humperdinck addresses Tom Jones feud and the start of their careers
“There is nothing friendly about me and Engelbert because he is a p***k and you can quote me on that,” Jones told The Sun on Sunday. “We fell out years ago.”
Jones was asked if he’d be reconnecting with Humperdinck on his tour, only to slap down the idea: “No. He has tried but I don’t want to talk.”
It’s not the first time this year the subject of the legendary performers’ spat has hit headlines.
Back in February, Humperdinck was asked for his verdict on Jones’s less than favourable comments about himself over the years.
Speaking to the Mirror, Humperdinck, dismissed Jones’s public attacks, simply stating: “It doesn’t bother me – the only person it hurts is himself.
“If you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything.”
While he may live by that mantra, Humperdinck couldn’t resist a dig at Jones in a separate interview with the Sun, telling the publication: “I think he’s lost his voice. I don’t think he’s got it anymore.”
Their public back and forths date back decades but arguably the strongest came in 2015 when the Sex Bomb hitmakers was speaking to Metro.
He told them: “It’s as I say – once a c*** always a c***.”
Despite both being in their 80s, neither star is showing any signs of slowing down when it comes to their on-stage performances.
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From September 5, Jones heads to the States to perform a string of dates in North America, finishing at Thunder Valley in California on October 12.
Meanwhile, Humperdinck will be performing for crowds across Europe, kicking off his September string of shows in the Czech Republic on September 2 before making his way to Austria, Netherlands, Belgium and the UK.