Engelbert Humperdinck has spoken candidly about the mysterious, decades-long feud he shares with fellow Welsh singer Tom Jones, stating he does not know what caused their estrangement. The two were once close friends, sharing roommates in London early in their careers.
Humperdinck told Raymond Arroyo on his "Arroyo Grande" podcast this week that while he believes Jones remains "one of the best singers the world has ever known," they have not spoken for years. "Something happened and it just went," Humperdinck said, dismissing rumors that a woman was involved.
He suggested the rift may have begun after the death of their mutual manager, Gordon Mills, in 1986. Humperdinck had left Mills' management shortly before the manager passed away from cancer, and believes Mills may have taken offense.
"To this day, I still think that Tom is probably one of the best singers the world has ever known, you know, and we don't speak to each other," Humperdinck stated. "I don't know what it is, you know, it just happened after my manager died. He died of cancer, and then right after that, because I left Gordon [Mills] before he passed away, and he took umbrage to that, I guess, for some reason, but I can't tell you, I don't know why."
Humperdinck expressed a desire for reconciliation, saying, "To this day, I would embrace him if he ever put his hand out to me. There's no point, there's no — I don't like animosity. I don't hate the man. As a matter of fact, I love his singing, you know, and I think he's been a great asset to the world of music."
He recalled Jones teaching him much about the music business during their early years. "We had a good relationship in the early years, and what has happened now is something I can't put my finger on, but I really hope that one day, like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, we'll be together again."
In 2024, Jones, 86, told The Sun that Humperdinck "has tried, but I don’t want to talk." Fox News Digital has reached out to Jones' representatives for comment.