Introduction
Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck Are Still in a Bitter Feud… Why?
The decades-long bitter feud between two music icons, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, continues to be a hot topic, intriguing fans. What has caused two individuals who were once close friends, started their careers together, and achieved success, to become bitter rivals, exchanging harsh public insults?
This rivalry dates back to the 1960s when both were managed by Gordon Mills and signed to Decca Records. Tom Jones was the first to break through with the hit “It’s Not Unusual,” but Engelbert Humperdinck quickly gained prominence with “Release Me.” This parallel success sparked intense competition. According to several sources, jealousy and the desire to outshine each other were the primary catalysts for the feud. A former girlfriend of Tom Jones even revealed that Engelbert had flirted with her, further fueling the animosity between the two men.
Tensions escalated when Engelbert left the MAM management company, founded by Tom Jones and Gordon Mills, in the 1970s. Although Engelbert has made several attempts to reconcile, such as offering to record a duet in honor of Gordon Mills in 2013, Tom Jones consistently flatly refused. Even when Tom Jones’s wife, Linda, passed away in 2016, Engelbert expressed his condolences and tried to reach out, but received no response from Tom.
Most recently, the feud reignited when Engelbert Humperdinck publicly commented that Tom Jones had “lost his voice.” Tom Jones responded fiercely, using strong language to refer to Engelbert and asserting, “There’s nothing friendly about him and I.” This indicates that even in their 80s, the old wounds have never truly healed.
The core reason for the feud appears to be a blend of fierce professional rivalry, bruised egos, and unresolved personal misunderstandings. Both are strong-willed artists who stood at the peak of fame, and neither was willing to back down. Although both are legends who have contributed immensely to music, their relationship seems destined to remain a classic example of a “friendship broken by success.”