The Voice UK: Tom Jones performs spine-tingling version of Ben E King's 'Stand By Me'

23 November 2023, 13:18

The singer duetted with Anne-Marie for the beautiful cover version.

Sir Tom Jones stunned fans with his emotional performance on Saturday's (November 18) episode of The Voice.

The 83-year-old star showed off his incredible voice by delivering a powerful rendition of the Ben E King classic 'Stand By Me' alongside his fellow judge, Anne-Marie.

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The audience clapped as Jones and his fellow judge on The Voice delivered a stunning rendition of the song, as co-stars Olly Murs and will.i.am looked on.

Tom Jones stayed seated throughout the performance, with Anne Marie standing nearby, and the beautiful duet ended with a heartfelt hug between the pair.

Jones followed up the performance by sharing a clip of the duet on his X account, formerly Twitter, writing: "What a treat to perform with the sensational @AnneMarie!"

Fans of the star flocked to the comments section to praise the pair's performance.

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"Tom Jones .... WOW.... His voice is as good as it was way back. Amazing vocals. Love watching Olly's reaction when Sir Tom sings," one said.

"This is so so good. How on earth can Tom sing like this still. Amazing," another wrote.

With a third adding: "I love seeing artists from way different gens transcending time together and I hope @RealSirTomJones lives forever. The years haven't touched you Sir Tom, same powerful voice."

Tom Jones & Anne Marie - Stand By Me | The Voice UK 2023

Ben E. King released 'Stand By Me' in 1961, and it's still a beloved song by millions of people around the world, becoming an anthem of love and hope across the decades.

According to King, the title is derived from, and was inspired by, a spiritual song written by Sam Cooke and JW Alexander called 'Stand by Me Father', recorded by the Soul Stirrers with Johnnie Taylor singing lead vocals.

The song was used in the 1986 movie Stand By Me starring River Phoenix and as a result became a runaway hit in 1987 when it reached number one in the UK, 26 years after its release.

'Stand By Me' has been a wedding favourite for decades, but none more notable than the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018.

Before exchanging their vows in Windsor Castle, Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir performed a gospel version of the song, which was chosen by the couple.