Engelbert Humperdinck Says Tom Jones Silence Started After His Manager Died

Engelbert Humperdinck opened up this week about the strange silence between him and Tom Jones that has lasted for decades. He admitted they were once close friends before everything fell apart, yet he still cannot explain what caused the rift. On Wednesday, speaking with Raymond Arroyo on his "Arroyo Grande" podcast, the singer from the classic hit "Release Me" offered a candid assessment of their situation.

"To this day, I still think that Tom is probably one of the best singers the world has ever known," Humperdinck told Arroyo. "You know, and we don't speak to each other." He paused before adding simply, "I don't know what it is, you know, it just happened after my manager died."

The explanation centered on his late business partner Gordon Mills, who passed away from cancer in 1986. Humperdinck revealed that he left the management firm before Mills died, a move that apparently upset the older executive. "Right after that, because I left Gordon [Mills] before he passed away," Humperdinck explained. "And he took umbrage to that, I guess, for some reason, but I can't tell you, I don't know why."

Rumors have circulated suggesting a woman might be the source of their falling out, but Humperdinck firmly denied those claims. He insisted there was no animosity toward Jones personally. "To this day, I would embrace him if he ever put his hand out to me," he stated. "There's no point, there's no, I don't like animosity."

The bond between the two legends ran deep during their early careers in London, where they once shared a room while building their fame. As someone who achieved success before Jones did, Humperdinck credited the younger star with teaching him much about the music business. He praised his former rival as a great asset to the world of music and said he truly loved his singing voice.

Now, both men are looking toward reconciliation in hopes of ending the feud once and for all. "What has happened now is something I can't put my finger on," Humperdinck admitted. "But I really hope that one day, like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, we'll be together again." Fox News Digital has reached out to Jones' representatives for comment regarding these claims. In 2024, the 86-year-old Jones told The Sun that while Humperdinck had tried to reach him, he simply did not want to talk about it then.