Welsh singer Sir Tom Jones has been in the public eye for well over 50 years now, with over 100 million records sold, 36 Top 40 hits in the UK alone and a knighthood under his belt. The 85-year-old has also had a highly-publicised personal life, including his marriage to his late wife, Linda Trenchard, to whom he was married from the age of 17 right until she passed away 59 years later, despite his infidelities. However, one aspect of his family life has remained relatively private until now, and that's his relationship with his lesser-known sibling.
Sheila Davies, formerly Woodward, is the older sister of Sir Tom Jones, and she tends to keep away from the spotlight. It is believed that she lives in a home in the neighbourhood of Bel Air in Los Angeles, California, which the singer bought for her and their late mother. Tom and Sheila have been pictured together in the neighbourhood on a few occasions.
Tom and Sheila were both incredibly close with their mother, Freda Jones, who passed away at the age of 88 in their Bel Air home back in 2003. Freda and Sheila were both known to be highly supportive of Tom's career in music, and often flew out to America to see him perform before they later moved over to the States themselves.
Though Sir Tom's sister keeps out of the spotlight, she has previously made a public appearance to mark a very special day. In 1989, Sheila joined the 'Sex Bomb' singer and their mother, Freda, when Tom was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California. Sheila was seen beaming with pride while wearing a teal and white dress as her brother knelt by his star on the iconic boardwalk.
Tom and Sheila were raised by their parents in the village of Treforest, in South Wales, with the 'She's A Lady' singer previously commenting on his family's support of his passion for music. He has also been honest about a struggle he experienced in childhood at the family home he shared with his sister. At the age of 12, Tom was forced to isolate at home for two years after coming down with tuberculosis.
"I learned a lesson there, not to take health for granted. I knew I was going to get well, but it was hard. I used to look outside and see the other kids playing, and I couldn’t go out there," the star said in 2020 of the ordeal. "I always thought to myself, 'Once I am well, I’ll never complain about anything again.' Any time anything gets tough, I always think of that."
Tom Jones' 59-year marriage
The most publicly known aspect of his personal life is undoubtedly Sir Tom Jones' marriage of nearly 60 years to his childhood sweetheart, Linda Trenchard, with whom he tied the knot when he was just 17 years old. The pair first met when they were both eight years old and remained together until she died, aged 75, in 2016 after a third cancer diagnosis.
Even though the two of them were completely devoted to one another, Tom's success in the industry and time spent touring meant that he would spend months away from Linda at a time. At the peak of his fame, he had multiple affairs, and has since admitted to being intimate with "over 250" other women in a year.
"[The affairs were] never discussed, I was never put on the spot," Tom revealed in an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show back in 2016. "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."