Melinda Trenchard (born 1941; died April 10, 2016) was an American woman who was well-known as the wife of Tom Jones, the world-famous singer with a string of top 10 hits in the 1960s. They had a son together called Mark.
Melinda was married to Tom Jones until she died at the age of 75 in 2016 after battling cancer. She was known for her steadfast devotion to her husband and son during her lifetime.
Summary of Melinda Trenchard’s Biography
- Full name: Melinda Trenchard
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 1941
- Date of death: April 10, 2016
- Age at death: 75 years
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: Welsh
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Was married
- Melinda Trenchard’s Husband: Tom Jones
- Melinda Trenchard’s Children: Mark Woodward
- Famous for: Being Tom Jones’ wife
Melinda Trenchard Was Born And Raised In Wales
Melinda Trenchard was born in Pontypridd, a small town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. This was also where she was raised by her family. Melinda was born in the year 1941. However, the exact date and month of her birth remain vague.
Not much is known about Melinda’s early days and family background. For instance, details about her parents and what they did for a living are unknown. It is also not clear if she had any siblings with whom she spent her formative years in Pontypridd. What is certain is that she spent the entirety of her teenage years in her native Wales.
Like her family background, little is known about Melinda’s educational qualifications. It is believed that she finished high school. However, it is not clear if she did proceed to have any college education.
Melinda Used To Work As a Factory Worker
Not much is known about Melinda Trenchard and what she did for work during her lifetime. However, one of the few things known about her is that she used to work as a factory worker. When she was still a teenager, Melinda did factory work to help raise money for her family.
Because she got married very early, the work she did at the factory was also to help provide for her kids in addition to what her husband was bringing home. Eventually, when her husband got into music and became wealthy and famous, she stopped working to become a stay-at-home wife and raise their children.
Melinda Trenchard And Tom Jones Met As Children
Melinda Trenchard and Tom Jones first crossed paths when they were just kids. Historical records reveal that Melina and Tom Jones were in the early stages of adolescence when they stumbled across each other one day in school. Talking about this later, Tom Jones revealed that he found himself so captivated by the enchanting Melinda Trenchard that he could not sleep as he kept thinking of her when he got back home.
Around this same period, something happened that threatened to sever their connection; Tom fell ill with tuberculosis and was confined to his room for almost two years while recovering. During his illness, they could not make contact with each other as Tom was limited to making interactions with only his doctor and tutor during this period. But Tom later revealed that he kept thinking of Melinda all through and desperately wanted to get better so he could get to her.
Upon regaining his health, Tom Jones immediately went to look for Melinda Trenchard and found out she was also waiting for him eagerly. Even though they were just teenagers then, their connection eventually deepened into a blossoming love, and they began their romance. It is noteworthy that their families were fully aware of their relationship and permitted it to blossom.
Melinda Trenchard Became Tom Jones’ Wife When They Were Both 16 Years
Melinda Trenchard and Tom Jones’ love story reached a pivotal moment in 1957 when they decided to get married. What makes this even more interesting is that both Melinda and Tom were 16 years old at the time.
One of the things that influenced the hasty marriage was that Melinda got pregnant, so the families came together to facilitate things, and both Melinda and Tom were entirely in agreement with getting married.
Eventually, on March 2, 1957, Melinda and Tom became husband and wife. At the time of their marriage, Melinda was already eight months pregnant. The couple exchanged vows at the Pontypridd register office. One month after their wedding, the couple expanded their family with the arrival of their son, Mark Woodward.
For the record, during this period, Melinda’s husband, Tom Jones, had yet to embark on the iconic singing career for which he would become globally renowned. So the young couple was quite poor. To support the family, Tom undertook regular jobs like working on construction sites and at a glove factory to sustain the needs of his growing family. Melinda also supported by working in a factory as well.
Eventually, a crucial moment came when Melinda, recognizing Tom’s talent and passion, encouraged him to pursue an entertainment career. This marked the inception of Tom Jones’ extraordinary journey in the realm of music.
Melinda Was Her Husband’s Biggest Fan And Inspiration
In the aftermath of their marriage, Melinda Trenchard is on record as having steadfastly stood by her husband, Tom Jones, displaying unwavering support and a deep admiration for him. In a rare interview she once granted, Melinda explained that she felt alive each time Tom came home and stepped through the door to meet her, irrespective of the hour. She felt like he was a huge part of her life, and she simply could not do without him.
Eventually, as Tom Jones embarked on his burgeoning career, Melinda stood by his side and was his biggest fan, and many of his songs were inspired by her. She also gave Tom lots of advice, including how to manage his money and where to tour. Tom Jones has always said Melinda gave life to his career as the mental strength to record, tour, and make music largely came from her. The couple was clearly head over heels in love.
But despite this, when Tom started gaining some popularity as a singer around the USA, his manager orchestrated a narrative presenting him to the world as a 22-year-old single singer, concealing the reality that he was, in fact, 24 years at the time and that he was already married, and a father to a seven-year-old son. This was a ploy to make him more presentable to his young fans. But this also meant that Melinda was mostly hidden away at home and rarely attended his concerts.
Eventually, this created some problems. The consequence of this fabricated image weighed heavily on Melinda because it fostered a sense that she was meant to remain invisible in her husband’s public persona. She was made to feel like she must not exist in his life to protect his public image as a singer. It made her insecure, especially when he went on tour for weeks.
Despite the challenges, her unwavering support was pivotal in propelling Jones to remarkable success in his music career. Melinda’s encouragement and advice fueled his journey, leading him to forge friendships with music legends such as Elvis Presley and other high-sounding names at the time.
How Melinda Trenchard’s Husband Broke Her Heart Multiple Times
After Tom Jones found global fame and success as a singer, a wave of female admirers sought his attention, and regrettably, he succumbed to the allure of temptation. He had affairs with many of them despite being married to Melinda Trenchard. Tom would later openly acknowledge engaging in numerous affairs, estimating that he slept with up to 250 women in a year, although he admittedly “never kept count.”
His infidelity was an open secret within his inner circle and backstage among his crew. On tour, Jones maintained two dressing rooms—one for entertaining friends and another for hosting groupies. His affairs spanned a spectrum of women, from 21-year-old lap dancers to fellow singers, such as Mary Wilson of The Supremes.
His involvement with beauty queen Marjorie Wallace became headline news when the press captured photographs of them together in Las Vegas and Barbados. As Melinda was on the brink of discovering his extramarital relationship, Jones promptly ended things with Wallace to save his marriage. But, amidst his many affairs, Jones consistently returned to the haven of his marriage with Melinda Trenchard. Despite the plethora of women in his life, he emphasized that Melinda held the most significant place in his heart.
Also, Melinda brushed aside much of the media speculation surrounding Jones’s romantic entanglements with different ladies and remained resolute in standing by her husband. She once said, during an interview, “I believe him absolutely. Nothing that these women throw at him will ever destroy that love.”
Tom Jones Had A Child With Another Woman And This Broke Melinda
Tragically, Melinda Trenchard’s husband, Tom Jones’ infidelity, led to more humiliation for her when Jones fathered a child called Jonathan Berkery with a model, Katherine Berkery. A DNA test later confirmed his paternity. This broke Melinda beyond words. She felt hurt by her husband’s actions, and she became even more reserved and depressed.
After DNA confirmed that Jonathan was his son, Tom Jones provided monthly child support for the child, but he never met nor acknowledged the boy. So, Jonathan grew up without the guidance of his father, eventually succumbing to a troubled life involving drugs and homelessness. Jones was a huge mess and had no control over his urges to mess around with different women or handle the consequences of his actions with dignity.
But, despite the apparent turbulence in his marriage, Jones consistently presented his union with Melinda as solid, maintaining the facade of an unshaken love between him and his wife. There were several speculations that Melinda could divorce Jones at some point due to his infidelity. However, she remained married to him, enduring the humiliation and heartbreak he brought her.
But she was deeply affected by Jones’ way of life. She got increasingly depressed, and, most times, she would just hide in their residence and smoke. She was afraid of going out and being talked about by many people who already knew of Jones’ cheating lifestyle.
How Did Melinda Trenchard Die?
Melinda Trenchard died in 2016 from cancer. She faced the formidable challenge of battling cancer not once but twice before her ultimate terminal diagnosis. Her first battle with the disease came when she was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Upon receiving the devastating news of his wife’s diagnosis, Tom Jones made a solemn vow to his son that he would cease singing if Trenchard succumbed to the illness. In response, their son, Mark, resolved, “We’d better make sure she survives then.”
Melinda’s husband, Tom Jones, and her son, Mark, stood by her side as she battled colon cancer. They sought the best medical treatment, and eventually, Melinda recovered. The whole family was overjoyed with the news that Melinda had beat cancer. Jones went back to making music and touring afterward.
Sadly, despite surviving the battle with colon cancer, Melinda Trenchard faced another daunting foe after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Her condition continued to deteriorate, and in 2016, Tom Jones made the heartfelt decision to cancel all his tours, prioritizing being by his wife’s side during her final moments.
She Died at the Age of 75 After Being Married For 59 Years
Unfortunately, Melinda Trenchard passed away on April 10, 2016. She died at Cedars Sinai Hospital, having reached the age of 75. At the time of her death, she had been married to Tom Jones for 59 years.
Her passing left Tom Jones and her son, Mark, devastated. In fact, Melinda Trenchard’s departure had such a profound impact on Tom Jones that it prompted him to seek solace from a therapist to reignite his passion for singing.
Thankfully, the therapist helped him comprehend that nothing could have thwarted the relentless advance of an aggressive form of cancer. So, just four weeks after Melinda’s passing, Jones, in a poignant departure from his earlier vow, returned to the stage with two performances at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond.
He attributed his ability to resume his career to the enduring presence of his wife, feeling her support permeating every aspect of his life and schedule.
Melinda’s Husband Blamed Himself For Her Death
Upon Melinda Trenchard’s passing, her husband, Tom Jones, grappled with an overwhelming sense of self-blame, convinced that his past actions, including instances of infidelity, might have played a role in her succumbing to the illness that claimed her life. The weight of grief and guilt led Jones to believe that his existence had come to an end with hers.
He often questioned whether he could have taken more decisive actions to prolong his wife’s life, including compelling her to seek professional help when she resisted. Because he had always known her as his wife since he was just 16 years old, Jones was rendered unable to conceive of a world without Trenchard. According to him, “Part of me died with her.”
Following Trenchard’s passing, Jones solemnly pledged never to love again, as she had been the singular love of his life—the first and the last. While appreciative of the support from family and friends, he frequently longed for his wife’s continued presence, yearning for the opportunity to grow old together. In fact, Jones ended up selling their Los Angeles home because he could not bear to live inside it without seeing Melinda within the building.